Pakistan certifies first organic cotton bale
Balochistan on Wednesday marked the certification of Pakistan's first organic cotton bale at a ceremony held at Kot Sabzal. Balochistan's Minister for Agriculture Engineer Zamrak Khan said the provincial
Dawn (Pakistan)
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Bahawalpur areas face flood threat
: An upward of 30 villages and
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Garbage sale deal sparks controversy
The city government's decision to sell garbage to a private sector cement firm for production of electricity without inviting companies to tender for the contract and obtaining permission from the city council has raised serious questions about the transparency of the deal and environmental suitability of the project. According to the agreement between the city government's enterprise and investment promotion department and the cement firm, the city government will earn less than half the money it was going to get earlier, Dawn has learnt.
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Five more gastro deaths in Luddan
: Five more people died of gastroenteritis in Luddan area during the last three days. Reports said the people were getting contaminated water because of mixing of a sewer line with water supply pipe. The deceased were identified as Allah Rakha, 40, Farah Bibi, 5, Jannat Bibi, 60, Asif, 5, and four-year-old Muhammad Ali.
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Need stressed for public toilets
The absence of public toilets is causing immense hardship to the people in Mithi. Shopkeepers, social workers and common people say that though Mithi, the district headquarters town, has a population of over 50,000, the municipal administration and its town planners never considered to build public toilets in main areas of the town, in shopping canters, tourists' spots and other public places.After visiting various colonies, private clinics, bus stops, markets and shopping centres, this correspondent has observed that this aspect of public service has received no attention.
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Sepa teams to study noise level on roads
As part of its nine-day special study aimed at finding the levels of vehicular noise generation in the city, the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) started taking readings of noise emissions caused by vehicular traffic on Thursday. Noise readings were taken at Fresco Chowk (Burnes Road), Tibet Centre and Seventh Day Adventist Hospital on M. A. Jinnah Road and Empress Market. Six readings were taken at one of the points in question. The Sepa, which plans to study vehicular traffic noise levels in 28 areas of the city, has dedicated two teams of its experts for the task.
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Old rickshaw permits renewable till 2010'
The provincial transport minister, Akhtar Hussain Jadoon, said that permits for old rickshaws could be renewed till June 30, 2010 provided they used silencers which produced relatively less noise and emission as introduced by the Rickshaw Owners' Association (ROA). He was speaking to an ROA delegation that called on him here on Thursday. The meeting was attended by Secretary Transport Rasheed Alam, Additional Advocate-General Sarwar Khan, SP Traffic Zulfikar Maher, DO transport, SRTC chairman Yar Mohammed Jutt and the chairman of the Rickshaw Owners' Association, Hakam Khan Jadoon.
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30 villages get irrigation water after a decade
A large number of farmers celebrated the irrigation water supply after a decade's suspension to 30 villages situated at Moongi distributary of lower Gogera branch canal near Gojra on Thursday. Farmers arranged a reception for DCO Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf and irrigation department officials at the Moongi rest house. Addressing the gathering, the DCO said that 60 outlets of this distributary had either been broken or closed on account of water theft and silt.
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Gastroenteritis patient dies; many hospitalized
A man died while many people were hospitalized due to gastroenteritis in Luddan on Wednesday. A gastro patient, Noor Ahmed, 50, was being taken to Luddan rural health centre (RHC) but he died just before reaching the RHC. A dispenser told Dawn that scores of gastro patients were brought to the RHC. The health department has established a camp in this area and started vaccinating the people.
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Flood affected areas declared calamity-hit
: NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti on Wednesday declared those localities as calamity-hit areas, which had been badly affected due to torrential rains and floods on Aug 4. The areas include the Dirdawar circle of Mathra and 22 Patwar circles of Khalisa. These areas will be exempted from paying water tax, land revenue, agriculture income tax etc for one year from June 30, says a handout. According to details, 12,934 acres of land and standing crops over 9,939 acres had been destroyed.
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Noise pollution (editorial)
IT is the second one in over a decade and a half. The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has announced that it is launching yet another study to measure noise levels at various localities in Karachi. This study will be carried out in different places at different times to record the general level of noise