To protect the country's expansive biodiversity, complete with flora and fauna, from illegal `invasions'.

HYDERABAD: Two decades ago, when the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) officially took shape in Rio de Janeiro, India was among the first few countries to jump on board. Its agenda? To protect the country's expansive biodiversity, complete with flora and fauna, from illegal `invasions'. Ever since, all through the 10 Convention of Parties (CoP) of the CBD held at venues across the globe, India has remained a loyal member of the convention and is now hosting the next chapter (CoP-11) beginning today in Hyderabad. But has this commitment to the treaty remained confined to a piece of paper? The answer is an unfortunate yes, say environmentalists and experts.

While Indian dignitaries, all through the 19-day event, are likely to flaunt the country's massive `bio' wealth that includes an expansive coastline, dense forests and rare breeds of cattle, the fact remains that each of this is faced with a threat of extinction. India's forests are being ruthlessly felled and cattle farmers left to struggle for a livelihood. "Though there are provisions like biodiversity authorities, biodiversity registers and farmer seed protection committees, all of them are non-functional. Nobody is doing anything to protect the intellectual property of poor communities," said Sunita Narain, director general of Centre for Science and Environment. According to Narain, India's agenda at the upcoming CoP-11 should be to ratify the Nagoya Protocol (formulated during CoP-10 in Japan), adopted to allow access and benefit sharing (ABS) of biodiversity among member countries of CBD. The objective is to bring in farmers and grassroots communities to the fold and share with them the benefits of ABS. "As the host nation, it should also persuade other members to ratify the same," she said.



But a mere signature is not the solution, environmental experts maintain. It is the implementation that is crucial, and India has so far failed miserably in that area. While one of the highlights of the 2010 protocol was a clause that made it mandatory for a national government to obtain 'free and prior informed consent' of communities before allowing other countries access to their biodiversity, it has not been followed in India. "The country has very weak bio-safety laws. Communities protecting and conserving the genetic biodiversity are ignored. Access and benefit sharing sans this clause, is hardly beneficial. Biodiversity cannot be used for monetary gains," said Sagari R Ramdas of 'Anthra' who has extensively researched issues on livestock and people's livelihoods. She hopes that the government takes a stronger stand on this clause during CoP-11.

Experts like P M Bhargava, however, feel that the country should close its doors completely on sharing of raw material. Instead, it's the finished products that should be exported, the former vice-chairman of the National Knowledge Commission adds stressing the need to protect local species of plants, animals and marine creatures. Stating an example, he said, "We have a vast growth of medicinal plants and roughly 40,000 plant-based drug formulations. Instead of allowing countries access to the plants, we should market the drugs. It will not just earn us more revenue but also help us preserve our biodiversity."

Another area that experts feel Indian authorities should pay more attention to during its CoP deliberations is its coastline that has been robbed of its wealth, thanks to the many mining scams and loosely-drafted policies. "The mangroves, which are a huge asset for India, are under threat. There is consistent erosion and no decision on just how much fishing should be allowed here. Such issues need to be addressed for India to establish itself as a country serious about protecting its biodiversity," said Sumaira Abdulali, convener of Mumbai-based Awaaz Foundation which will highlight the problem of sand mining at the global summit. She added, "The problem in India is that we continue to push for development at the cost of degrading the environment."

“Environmental impact assessment tends to ignore wider impact on biodiversity”

 

“Environmental impact assessment tends to ignore wider impact on biodiversity”

In a move that will bring cheer to wildlife lovers but could dismay industry lobbyists already complaining about the difficulty in obtaining green clearances, the government plans to add biodiversity conservation as a new criterion to grant environmental and forest clearances.

“There is no biodiversity clearance till now,” admitted Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, speaking ahead of the United Nations summit on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which begins in Hyderabad next week.

“I know industries will panic if I say we are adding one more layer of clearances, but I would like to assert today that conservation of biodiversity should certainly be a part of forest and environment clearances. I will make every effort to integrate it into environmental or forest or both clearances, at whichever level it operates.”

Focus on species

In fact, the Biodiversity Act already says the government must assess the impact of any industrial or developmental activity on biodiversity. However, this is largely ignored or given lip-service while appraising applications for environmental and forest clearances.

Environmental impact assessment reports usually include a list of flora and fauna in the affected area, but there is little understanding of the interaction between species or the wider impact on biodiversity in the area.

Forest working plans often allow a focus on timber or plantations in afforestation measures, rather than requiring that the species cut and the species replanted are the same.

Holistic approach

“The impact assessment needs to be much more diverse and holistic,” says Kanchi Kohli of the environmental NGO Kalpavriksh. “And it really needs to be done at the planning stage, not at the individual project level.”

She also suggests that biocultural aspects should be taken into account, as mentioned in the CBD.

India takes over the presidency of the CBD’s Conference of Parties at a time when the need to mobilise scarce financial resources to safeguard the planet’s rich natural resources is taking the centre stage. At the last such summit held in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010, nations agreed to ambitious conservation targets.

For instance, by 2020, they agreed to halve the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, and ensure that at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas — in comparison to the present 1.6 per cent — are conserved. Other targets were set to sustainably manage areas used for agriculture, aquaculture and forestry.

However, the last summit could not agree on funding targets to meet these goals. A report to be presented in Hyderabad shows that an annual flow of $150 billion to $430 billion is needed to actually implement the conservation targets, of which somewhere between $74 billion and $191 billion are needed for developing countries alone between 2014 and 2018. Currently, the international funds for biodiversity are stuck at a measly $6 billion per year.

Major themes

“The first agenda item is the implementation of the strategic plan,” said Ms. Natarajan, adding that other major themes include biodiversity for livelihood and poverty reduction, coastal and marine biodiversity and the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol.

This historic agreement provides for equitable access and benefit sharing of genetic resources, ensuring that local communities will gain when multinational firms commercially exploit their natural resources.

For example, a pharma company which develops a new drug from ingredients found in an Indian plant will now have to give a fair share to the Indian communities which nurtured the plant in the first place.

However, the protocol will only come into effect when at least 50 nations ratify it. So far, 92 nations have signed the deal, but only six have ratified it. While India is a signatory to it, Parliament is yet to ratify the protocol.

India's heaviest Communication Satellite GSAT-10 Launched Successfully | ISRO

India's heaviest Communication Satellite GSAT-10 Launched Successfully | ISRO

The launch of ISRO's 101st space mission, GSAT-10 satellite, has been a success. At 3400 kg, GSAT-10 is the heaviest Indian satellite that ISRO has built.

After a smooth countdown lasting 11 hours and 30 minutes, the Ariane-5 launch vehicle lifted off right on schedule at the opening of the launch window at 0248 hrs

IST today (September 29,2012). After a flight of 30 minutes and 45 seconds, GSAT-10 was injected into an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), very close to the intended one.

GSAT 10 Satellite successfully launched by Arianespace’s Ariane 5 ECA VA 209 mission from Spaceport's ELA 3 launch zone, Kourou launch base in French Guyana at 02:48 a.m. IST on September 29, 2012. With this latest success, Arianespace has now lofted 15 spacecraft for ISRO.

Based on the I - 3K satellite bus, GSAT 10 weighed approximately 3,400 kg. at liftoff and carries 30 transponders as well as the GAGAN (GPS and GEO augmented navigation) system. It will provide Ku and C band relay capacity when it joins the INSAT (Indian National Satellite) system of geostationary spacecraft representing one of the largest domestic communications satellite networks in the Asia - Pacific region

Urbanization and cardiovascular disease

Urbanization, simply defined, is the shift from a rural to an urban society. The world is urbanizing at a rapid pace and it is estimated that by 2050 seven out of 10 people will live in cities.  While some characteristics of urban settings may lead to a better quality of life, rapid growth and unplanned urbanization have created cities that in many ways hinder an individual’s ability to live healthily. Where an individual lives, works, plays, and what they eat affects their cardiovascular health.

An individual’s exposure to certain cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, which include tobacco use, physical inactivity, obesity and unhealthy diets/inadequate nutrition, is highly influenced by their socioeconomic status and the environment in which they live. Poverty, lack of education, and unplanned urbanization can increase exposure to risk factors, and in turn have a negative impact on heart health. Within this, children are particularly impacted due to their unique vulnerabilities.

Quick facts:

• CVD is the number one cause of death worldwide causing 17.3 million deaths
  • Over 80% of these deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• CVD deaths occur almost equally in men and women.
• By 2030 almost 23.6 million people are predicted to die from CVD
• CVD places a substantial burden on national economies.
  
  • In China annual direct costs are estimated at more than USD 40 billion (4 per cent of gross national income).
• Increasing urbanization threatens the current and future heart health of children and the amount of the world population living in urban areas is increasing:
  • 10 per cent of the world’s population lived in cities in 1900 50 per cent live in cities today
  • 75 per cent will be living in cities in 2050
• The rise of CVD in LMICs has been linked to progressive urbanization and the globalization of unhealthy lifestyles which are facilitated by urban life.
• Foetal development and nutrition during infancy and early childhood affects risk for developing CVD later in life.

The negative impacts of urbanization on cardiovascular health:

• Cities in developing countries are urbanizing at a rapid rate without much foresight.
• This has led to the creation of cities with unequal distribution of goods with some areas having insubstantial housing conditions and low access to healthcare services, healthy foods and safe, green places for outdoor activity that are free of environmental toxins and pollutants.
• Crowded city living environments can spread diseases such as rheumatic fever, which if left untreated can cause rheumatic heart disease.
• Considering the major CVD risk factors, city dwellers are more likely to be exposed to marketing schemes and advertisements for unhealthy foods, tobacco and alcohol. 
• Cities tend to have higher levels of particulate matter air pollution, exposure to which increases the risk for developing and dying from CVD.

Impact of urbanization on physical inactivity:

• Built urban environments may discourage physical activity and encourage sedentary habits:
  • Construction of cities that promote transport by car rather than transport by foot or bike discourage daily physical activity
  • 93 per cent of students who have regular access to television watch it for an average of three hours a day
  • Lack of safe green spaces within cities, particularly the low-income areas, hinders the ability to be physically active outside
    

The impact of urbanization on under- and over-nutrition:

• Urbanization encourages individuals to forego traditional cooking and turn to prepared and heavily processed convenience foods that are often high in sugar, salt, saturated and trans fats leading to an increase in CVD risk.
• Gaining calories from sugar and fats has become cheaper and more accessible than fruit, vegetables, grains, beans or lentils.
• Worldwide, poor communities are often hurt most by unhealthy diets:
  • 35 million overweight children are living in developing countries
  • 8 million overweight children are living in developed countries
• Under-nutrition is also found in urban settings, especially in areas of extreme food insecurity. Exposure to under-nutrition during infancy, childhood and adolescence may negatively affect cardiovascular health in adult life.
  

The impact of urbanization on tobacco use:

• Both first-hand use of tobacco and second-hand exposure to smoke increases CVD risk.
• City dwellers are more frequently tobacco users than are rural dwellers.
• Children in cities may be particularly susceptible to second-hand smoke given the number of smokers in urban areas along with crowded living conditions.
• First-hand use of tobacco by children is on the rise and those residing in cities may more vulnerable due to increased access to cigarettes and increased exposure to adverts that encourage smoking.
  

The unique vulnerabilities of children:

• Children can be impacted both directly and indirectly by CVD:
  • Some may suffer from either congenital heart disease (CHD) or an acquired heart disease 
  • Even if they themselves do not have heart disease, children with a family member who suffers from CVD may face food, economic and social insecurity because of it
• Children lack independence to make their own decisions and are most manipulated by their environment.
  

Why act?

• Children are core to global efforts to prevent and control CVD, particularly within urbanizing populations.
  • The behaviour of children now affects the likelihood of a CVD epidemic in future years
• Investments in urban health can create major returns for the economy.
• Children have a right to the highest attainable level of health.
• The health of children is central to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Solutions

• Taking a life-course (whole of life) approach to CVD prevention:
  • CVD risk can be determined as early as foetal development and the first 1000 days of life.
• Utilizing cities as a leverage point for change by implementing the World Heart Federation S.P.A.C.E. strategy:
  • Stakeholder collaboration: inclusion of all government sectors, the private sector and civil society
  • Planning cities: develop infrastructures that facilitate heart-healthy behaviour
  • Access to healthcare: ensure that the health needs of all members of society are accounted for regardless of economic income
  • Child-focused dialogue: discussions around CVD must focus on children specifically
  • Evaluation: evaluate which city dwellers face which barriers to heart-healthy living and why

Women and cardiovascular disease

Heart disease is the number one killer of women and more than 8.6 million women die of cardiovascular disease (CVD) (including heart disease and stroke) around the world each year.  This is more than the total number of women who die from all cancers, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDs and malaria combined and represents one-third of all deaths among women.

The risk of dying or becoming seriously unwell due to heart disease and stroke is largely underestimated in women.

Heart attacks claim the lives of 3.3 million women every year, with another 3.2 million women dying from stroke and the remaining 2.1 million women succumbing to rheumatic heart disease, heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, inflammatory heart disease, and other CVD.

In low- and middle-income countries, women who develop CVD are more likely to die from it than women in industrialized nations.  For example, in South Africa, the proportion of CVD deaths in women aged between 35–59 years is 150 per cent higher than that of women in the United States. While in Brazil, the proportion of CVD deaths in women aged between 35–59 years is 75 per cent higher than women in the US.

Cardiovascular disease: not just a man’s disease

CVD does not just affect men, and in some instances its effects can be worse in women.

• Younger women who have a heart attack have higher mortality than men of the same age.
• Women are more likely than men to become disabled by stroke.
• Women with diabetes have higher CVD mortality rates than men with diabetes.
• Women in low- and middle-income countries fare worse than men, experiencing a higher proportion of CVD deaths than men.

Under-recognition of the risk in women and under-treatment
Women do not perceive CVD as the greatest threat to their health.

• Young women still feel more threatened by cancer than they do by CVD.
• Some of the symptoms in women can be different to that in men and as a result they are often under-diagnosed and under-treated when compared to men. 

Risk factors in women
Risk factors for heart disease and stroke are largely the same for men and women. Factors such as age and family history play a role, but it is estimated that the majority of CVD deaths are due to modifiable risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol, unhealthy diet, high blood pressure, obesity, or diabetes.

• Women who smoke double the risk of stroke. The more cigarettes smoked, the higher the risk.
• Exposure to second-hand smoke increases the risk of dying from heart disease by 15 per cent in women.
• Women with high blood pressure have 3.5 times the risk of developing coronary heart disease compared to women with normal blood pressure.

Prevention of cardiovascular disease in women
Women, like men, need to take preventive action to manage their risk factors.  This includes monitoring their blood pressure and taking appropriate steps to control high blood pressure; monitoring blood glucose levels; eating healthily; avoiding tobacco; and participating in regular physical activity. Indeed:

• Physical activity can reduce the risk of CVD among women in a dose-response fashion. Inactive women would benefit by even slightly increasing their physical activity – for example by walking one hour per week or possibly less – and would benefit more from additional activity.
• Young women can significantly reduce their risk of developing CVD by consuming more fish; researchers found that the risk of CVD was three times lower in women of child-bearing age who frequently ate fish one or more times per week compared with women who never ate fish.

Go Red for Women campaign
Go Red for Women is an international awareness campaign dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and control of CVD in women. The American Heart Association created the Go Red for Women campaign in 2004 to empower women with the knowledge and tools to take charge of their heart health. The World Heart Federation, together with more than 40 of its member organizations, has taken the campaign global to bring attention to the fact that CVD is the number one killer of women and the steps that can be taken to prevent it.

Working with members around the world, the World Heart Federation also urges women to know their numbers – have blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels checked regularly, as high levels can place them at greater risk.

Tobacco: totally avoidable risk factor of CVD

Smoking is estimated to cause nearly 10 per cent of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is the second leading cause of CVD, after high blood pressure.  The impact of tobacco smoke is not confined solely to smokers. Nearly 6 million people die from tobacco use or exposure to secondhand smoke, accounting for 6 per cent of female and 12 per cent of male deaths worldwide, every year. By 2030 tobacco-related deaths are projected to increase to more than 8 million deaths a year. Smoking is, however, avoidable and advancing a tobacco-free world is a key strategic priority for the World Heart Federation. 

How tobacco causes cardiovascular disease
Tobacco acts in a number of ways to cause CVD. Its use, whether by smoking or chewing, damages blood vessels, temporarily raises blood pressure and lowers exercise tolerance. Moreover, tobacco decreases the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry and increases the tendency for blood to clot. Blood clots can form in arteries causing a range of heart diseases that ultimately result in a stroke or sudden death.

Facts and figures

• Smoking causes one-tenth of CVD worldwide.
• Globally, tobacco causes some 6 million deaths a year.
• The risk for coronary heart disease is 25 per cent higher in female smokers than in male smokers.
• The risk of a non-fatal heart attack increases by 5.6 per cent for every cigarette smoked and persists even at only one to two cigarettes per day.
• Chewing tobacco more than doubles the risk of heart attack.
• Awareness of links between smoking and cardiovascular disease remains low in many parts of the world: in China, where the risk of stroke is very high, more than 70 per cent of all smokers do not know that smoking increases their risk of having a stroke.
• Smoking bans have been found to decrease the rates of heart attacks;  the evidence indicates that smokefree laws are one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent heart attacks.

Secondhand smoke exposure and its link to cardiovascular disease

• There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. 
• Non-smokers who breathe secondhand smoke have between a 25–30 per cent increase in the risk of developing a CVD.
• Each year, exposure to secondhand smoke kills 600,000 people: 28 per cent of them are children.8 Of all adult deaths caused by secondhand smoke, more than 80 per cent are from CVD.
• In China and Bangladesh, more than half of all adults working indoors are exposed to secondhand smoke and in Russia, India and Ukraine it is more than one quarter.
• In most countries surveyed around the world, the majority of smokers want to quit.
• In 2002, exposure to secondhand smoke was found to kill as many women in China as active smoking.
• Frequent exposure to tobacco smoke, whether in the workplace or home, has been found to nearly double the risk of having a heart attack.
• Exposure to secondhand smoke worldwide causes an estimated 603,000 deaths each year among non-smokers, including 379,000 deaths from ischaemic heart disease.

Impact of quitting

• Within 20 minutes of quitting smoking, blood pressure and pulse return to normal, and circulation improves. 
• Within eight hours, blood oxygen levels increase and the chances of a heart attack start to fall.
• Within 24 hours, carbon monoxide is eliminated from the body and the lungs start to clear out mucus and debris.
• Within 72 hours, the lungs can hold more air and breathing becomes easier.
• Within five years, the risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker.
• Within 10 years, the risk of lung cancer falls to around half that of a smoker. 
• Within 15 years, the risk of CVD becomes nearly the same as someone who has never smoked.
• Quitting when older is still worthwhile: among smokers who quit at age 66 years, men gained up to two years of life, and women gained up to 3.7 years.

Cardiovascular disease risk factors

The majority of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is caused by risk factors that can be controlled, treated or modified, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, overweight/obesity, tobacco use, lack of physical activity and diabetes. However, there are also some major CVD risk factors that cannot be controlled.

In terms of attributable deaths, the leading CVD risk factor is raised blood pressure (to which 13 per cent of global deaths is attributed), followed by tobacco use (9 per cent), raised blood glucose (6 per cent), physical inactivity (6 per cent) and overweight and obesity (5 per cent).
Modifiable risk factors
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Blood pressure is measured as two numbers, written one over the other and recorded in millimetres of mercury – for example, 120/78 mm Hg. The top (higher) number is the systolic pressure – the pressure in the arteries as the heart is contracting – and the bottom (lower) number is the diastolic pressure – the pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxed between beats. High blood pressure is defined as a repeatedly elevated systolic pressure of 140 or higher OR a diastolic pressure of 90 or higher.

• Globally, nearly one billion people have high blood pressure (hypertension); of these, two-thirds are in developing countries.
• Hypertension is one of the most important causes of premature death worldwide and the problem is growing; in 2025, an estimated 1.56 billion adults will be living with hypertension.
• Hypertension is the leading cause of CVD worldwide.
• People with hypertension are more likely to develop complications of diabetes.
• High blood pressure is called the “silent killer" because it often has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people do not realize they have it; that is why it's important to get blood pressure checked regularly.

Tobacco use

• Smoking is estimated to cause nearly 10 per cent of all CVD.
• The risk of developing CVD is higher in female smokers, young men, and heavy smokers.There are currently about 1 billion smokers in the world today.
• Within two years of quitting, the risk of coronary heart disease is substantially reduced, and within 15 years the risk of CVD returns to that of a non-smoker.

 Raised blood glucose (diabetes)

• Diabetes is defined as having a fasting plasma glucose value of 7.0 mmol/l (126 mg/dl) or higher.
• In 2008, diabetes was responsible for 1.3 million deaths globally.
• In 2008, the global prevalence of diabetes was estimated to be 10 per cent.
• CVD accounts for about 60 per cent of all mortality in people with diabetes.
• The risk of cardiovascular events is from two to three times higher in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and the risk is disproportionately higher in women.
• In some age groups, people with diabetes have a two-fold increase in the risk of stroke.
• Patients with diabetes also have a poorer prognosis after cardiovascular events compared to people without diabetes.
• Cardiovascular risk increases with raised glucose values.
• Lack of early detection and care for diabetes results in severe complications, including heart attacks, strokes, renal failure, amputations and blindness.
• Primary care access to measurement of blood glucose and cardiovascular risk assessment as well as essential medicines including insulin can improve health outcomes of people with diabetes.

Physical inactivity

• Insufficient physical activity can be defined as less than five times 30 minutes of moderate activity per week, or less than three times 20 minutes of vigorous activity per week, or equivalent.1
• Insufficient physical activity is the fourth leading risk factor for mortality.1
• Approximately 3.2 million deaths and 32.1 million DALYs – representing about 2.1 per cent of global DALYs – each year are attributable to insufficient physical activity.1
• People who are insufficiently physically active have a 20 to 30 per cent increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity most days of the week.1
• In 2008, 31.3 per cent of adults aged 15 or older (28.2 per cent men and 34.4 per cent women) were insufficiently physically active.1
• The prevalence of insufficient physical activity is higher in high-income countries compared to low-income countries due to increased automation of work and use of vehicles for transport in high-income countries.1
• High-income countries have more than double the prevalence of insufficient physical activity compared to low-income countries for both men and women, with 41 per cent of men and 48 per cent of women being insufficiently physically active in high-income countries compared to 18 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women in low-income countries.

Unhealthy diet

• High dietary intakes of saturated fat, trans-fats and salt, and low intake of fruits, vegetables and fish are linked to cardiovascular risk.
• Approximately 16 million (1.0 per cent) DALYs and 1.7 million (2.8 per cent) of deaths worldwide are attributable to low fruit and vegetable consumption.
• The amount of dietary salt consumed is an important determinant of blood pressure levels and overall cardiovascular risk and the WHO recommends a population salt intake of less than 5 grams/person/day to help the prevention of CVD.
• Frequent consumption of high-energy foods, such as processed foods that are high in fats and sugars, promotes obesity compared to low-energy foods.
• High consumption of saturated fats and trans-fatty acids is linked to heart disease; elimination of trans-fat and replacement of saturated with polyunsaturated vegetable oils lowers coronary heart disease risk.
• Adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables reduces the risk of CVD.
• A healthy diet can contribute to a healthy body weight, a desirable lipid profile and a desirable blood pressure.
• It is estimated that decreasing dietary salt intake from the current global levels of 9–12 grams/day to the recommended level of 5 grams/day would have a major impact on blood pressure and CVD.

Cholesterol/lipids

• Raised blood cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Globally, one third of ischaemic heart disease is attributable to high cholesterol.
• Overall, raised cholesterol is estimated to cause 2.6 million deaths (4.5 per cent of total) and 29.7 million DALYS, or 2 per cent of total DALYS globally.
• In 2008, the prevalence of raised total cholesterol among adults – defined as total cholesterol of 6.2 mmol/l (240 mg/dl) or higher – was 9.7 per cent (8.5 per cent for males and 10.7 per cent for females).1
• Lowering raised blood cholesterol reduces the risk of heart disease.
• In 2008, the global prevalence of raised total cholesterol among adults was 39 per cent (37 per cent for males and 40 per cent for females).
• The prevalence of raised total cholesterol noticeably increases according to the income level of the country.  In low-income countries, around 25 per cent of adults have raised total cholesterol, while in high-income countries, over 50 per cent of adults have raised total cholesterol.

Overweight and obesity

• Obesity is strongly related to major cardiovascular risk factors such as raised blood pressure, glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia.
• Worldwide, at least 2.8 million people die each year as a result of being overweight or obese, and an estimated 35.8 million (2.3 per cent) of global DALYs are caused by overweight or obesity.
• In 2008, 34 per cent of adults over the age of 20 were overweight with a body mass index (BMI, a measure of weight relative to height).
• In 2008, 9.8 per cent of men and 13.8 per cent of women were obese (with a BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2), compared to 4.8 per cent for men and 7.9 per cent for women in 1980.
• To achieve optimal health, the median BMI for adult populations should be in the range of 21–23 kg/m2, while the goal for individuals should be to maintain a BMI in the range 18.5–24.9 kg/m2.
• The prevalence of raised BMI increases with income level of countries, up to upper-middle-income levels. The prevalence of overweight in high-income and upper-middle-income countries was more than double that of low- and lower-middle-income countries.
• For obesity, the difference more than triples from 7 per cent obesity for both males and females in lower-middle-income countries to 24 per cent in upper-middle- income countries.

Non-modifiable risk factors
In addition to the modifiable risk factors, there are some risk factors that cannot be changed.  However, people in these high-risk categories should receive regular check-ups. 
Age

• CVD becomes increasingly common with advancing age. As a person gets older, the heart undergoes subtle physiologic changes, even in the absence of disease.
• The heart muscle of the aged heart may relax less completely between beats, and as a result, the pumping chambers become stiffer and may work less efficiently.
• When a condition like CVD affects the heart, these age-related changes may compound the problem or its treatment.

Gender

• A man is at greater risk of heart disease than a pre-menopausal woman. Once past the menopause, a woman’s risk is similar to a man’s.  Risk of stroke, however, is similar for men and women.

Family history

• A family’s history of CVD indicates a person’s risk. If a first-degree blood relative has had coronary heart disease or stroke before the age of 55 years (for a male relative) or 65 years (for a female relative), the risk increases.

World Heart Day: Keep your heart healthy, advise doctors

Indians fall prey to heart diseases more than the people living in western countries. Every year, 17 to 20 lakh people die of heart attack in India reason being lack of physical activity and consuming food having high fat content among people.

As the world observed World Heart Day, city doctors cautioned people and advised to better wake up then never.

Dr Siddhant Jain and Dr Mohammad Ali informed people that every year 1.75 crore people risks various types of cardio-vascular diseases, which is more than the total number of deaths due to malaria, HIV-AIDS and tuberculosis collaboratively.

"It is not only men who develop heart disease but out of three women one dies of heart diseases. Even young population too is at risk due to their changing lifestyle," said Dr Jain, heart specialist at SAIMS.

Doctors suggested few changes which could possibly avert the risk of developing heart disease. They urged people to indulge few minutes daily in physical exercises and get routine health check up done so as to diagnose the rising problem at initial stages.

Strengthening the Enforcement Machinery for Labour Laws

Strengthening the Enforcement Machinery for Labour Laws The Working Group on “Labour Laws & Other Labour Regulations” for the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17) constituted by the Planning Commission, in its recommendations for improving enforcement of Labour Laws has mentioned that Strengthening of enforcement machinery by way of increasing the manpower, improving infrastructure, etc. is essential for effective implementation of labour laws. At present the ratio of enforcement officer to industrial establishment is very low. Over the years the number of Acts, number of establishments and number of workers have increased manifold. The Working Group, therefore, suggests a complete review of the strength of the enforcement machinery.”

The Working Group in its report has mentioned that “Creation of an All India Service for labour administration to provide professional experts in the field of labour administration, autonomous bodies and labour adjudications could help”. The Working Group also recommended that the “proposed amendments in the Minimum Wages Act, the Contract Labour Act and the Factories Act which are currently at various stages of consultation should be put on fast track during the 12th Five Year Plan. The amendments of these Acts should have far reaching impact on labour standards and help fulfill the objective of inclusive growth.”

The Union Labour & Employment Minister Shri Mallikarjun Kharge gave this information in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.


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43rd Session of State Labour Ministers Conference begins with A Call to Ensure Harmonious Industrial Relations National Employment Policy.

43rd Session of State Labour Ministers Conference begins with A Call to Ensure Harmonious Industrial Relations The 43rd session of the State Labour Ministers’ Conference today began here with a call to ensure harmonious industrial relations climate for the foundation of country’s economic growth and well-being of the workers. Thrust was given for the addressing the concerns of the stake holders, proper implementation of Labour Laws and provide an atmosphere where entrepreneurs should be keen to invest and workers should work with dedication. Inaugurating the session Union Labour & Employment Minister Shri Mallikarjuna Kharge said his ministry has drafted a National Employment Policy. The basic objective is to create more productive, sustainable and decent employment opportunities. We are also creating a strong labour market information system. The various schemes under the National Skill Mission are being implemented across states through various Central and State ministries.

Following is the text of Labour Minsters speech:

“I extend my warm greetings to the Hon’ble Ministers of various States and other delegates attending this 43rd Session of State Labour Ministers’ Conference. As you know that Labour is a concurrent subject in our Constitution, both Central and State Governments have an important role in ensuring the effective implementation of the existing statutes. It is also necessary that we bring forth progressive legislations to meet the aspirations of the working class.

The labour legislations broadly cover the four areas namely – Industrial Relations, Wages, Working Conditions and Social Security. The primary purpose of various labour legislations is to protect the working class from exploitation. They also provide healthy working conditions and enable them to make a decent and dignified living.

Our country is an emerging economy and the large informal sector poses a big challenge. 94% of our work force is in the informal sector where implementation of labour laws is difficult. Ensuring that the benefits of various government schemes reach this sector is also a huge task. In view of the enormity of our responsibility, both central and state governments have to join hands and work very closely. We also have to take along all the other stake-holders.

Government of India’s Twelfth Five Year Plan has the vision of ‘Faster, Sustainable and More Inclusive Growth’. Moreover in today’s globalized world we have to be very responsive to the needs of the labour market. Every year more than 10 million persons join our workforce. We have to successfully implement all our skill training schemes to harness our demographic dividend. This would also enable us to maintain a high rate of economic growth. A country’s economy can’t progress unless we have a harmonious industrial relations climate. Entrepreneurs should be keen to invest and workers should work with dedication.

We have made significant progress in elimination of Child Labour. However we still have to cover some distance for its complete elimination. This issue is one of the most serious problems facing our society. It also attracts unwarranted international attention. Developed economies use this subject to block our exports by giving it the form of a non-tariff barrier.

For safeguarding the interests of the workers, the concept of minimum wages and equality of wages is enshrined in our Constitution. According to Article 39 of our Constitution - “the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means to livelihood”. Article 43 states that – “the state shall endeavour to secure, by suitable legislation or economic organization or in any other way, to all workers, agricultural, industrial or otherwise, work, a living wage, conditions of work ensuring a decent standard of life and full enjoyment of leisure and social and cultural opportunities”.

The prime aim of Minimum Wages Act, 1948 is to safeguard the interests of the workers engaged in the unorganized sector by providing a decent wage. The Act presently covers 45 scheduled employments in the Central sphere and 1679 scheduled employments in the State sphere. We are constantly trying for bringing down regional disparities in minimum wages. Our endeavour is to ensure better enforcement of various provisions of the Minimum Wages Act.

The proposed National Floor Level Minimum Wage is expected to reduce inter-state and inter-employment disparity. It is being indexed from time to time on the basis of the consumer price index. Presently it is fixed at Rs. 115/- with effect from 1st April, 2011. The centre has also introduced Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) since 1989 to neutralize the effect of inflation on wages. So far 24 states/UTs have adopted the VDA concept. We are pursuing the matter with the remaining states.

A sound industrial climate lays down the foundation of country’s economic growth and well-being of the workers. One of the primary functions of Ministry of Labour & Employment is to maintain industrial harmony. The conciliation and enforcement machinery plays an important role in achieving this aim. State Governments are the implementing agencies for many of the labour laws. Our ministry is responsive to the concerns of our stakeholders. We believe in taking proactive measures in consultation with State Governments and social partners.

I have been regularly communicating with State Governments to stress upon the need of effective implementation of labour laws. Legislation related to minimum wages, contract labour, industrial disputes and ‘working conditions in the factories’ affects the life of the working class in a very significant way. These laws touch upon the lives of the most deprived and marginal classes of the society.

Enforcement of the Labour Laws has to be followed strictly. Failure in this area has led to the recent flaring of incidents like Maruti Suzuki in Haryana, Regency Ceramics, Yanam, Puducherry and Neyveli Lignite Limited, Tamil Nadu. Respect for industrial democracy and aiming towards high industrial growth has to go hand in hand. Our trade union movement has a proud legacy and entrepreneurs of our country are respected the world over. The need is to ensure a healthy social dialogue so that all the creative energy is channelized for the progress of our nation. Employers should not turn a blind eye towards the labour statutes. At the same time the workers should refrain from taking law into their own hands. Our employers and workers should conduct themselves in such a way that they earn the respect of the whole world.

In the coming years, our country’s growth will to a large extent depend on the success of our skill training programmes. A significant portion of the world’s total youth population lives in India. The challenge of equipping millions of our youth, who are entering the labour market every year with professional skills, is a huge task. Government of India has launched the National Skill Development Policy. Skill development is a major national priority especially for the youth. A Coordinated Action Plan for skill development has been framed. Our ministry has been given a target of skilling 10 crore persons in the next ten years. This can be possible only with your fullest co-operation.

Ministry of Labour and Employment has drafted a National Employment Policy. The basic objective is to create more productive, sustainable and decent employment opportunities. We are also creating a strong labour market information system. The various schemes under the National Skill Mission are being implemented across states through various Central and State ministries. Government of India has taken a number of steps for ensuring quality employment through appropriate skill development. However, in the skill front there are various challenges that need to be tackled in the new economic scenario as our skill-base is still low compared to the developed countries.

Government has promised Rs. 700/- crore under MES but two states and two Union Territories have not even sent their annual action plan. Similarly, under the World Bank project for modernization of ITIs, Rs. 1103 crore has been released but only Rs. 902 crore has been utilized. Project is closing in December, 2012 but 14 states are lagging behind. There are about 7 lakh ITI certificates pending for issue as a result of which candidates are finding it difficult to get jobs.

I would like to appeal to all the Labour and Employment Ministers to look into these issues, utilize amount in time and send the details of candidates so that certificates could be issued. I will also request State Governments to send information about pass out candidates to up-date our records.

Government of India has adopted a multi-pronged strategy for eradication of child labour. Child Labour is basically a socio-economic problem. Right to Education Act, 2009 and its alignment with the National Child Labour Project will significantly reduce the problem of child labour. It will also provide basic amenities like education, nutrition, health and security to our children.

The continuation of National Child Labour Project Scheme during 12th plan with certain modifications proves its effectiveness. We invite your suggestions to make the NCLP Scheme more effective. The Union Cabinet has also approved the proposal of Ministry of Labour & Employment for amending the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986. These amendments are in line with the provisions of ILO Conventions No. 182 concerning Worst Forms of Labour and No. 138 concerning Minimum Age.

Before I conclude I would like to remind all, that we are committed to create a healthy work environment. Industrial climate should be conducive to achieving a high rate of economic growth. It should also give the highest regard to protecting the interests of the working class. Our country’s economic progress and social peace will depend on our responsiveness to the needs and rightful aspirations of the working class.

The challenge remains huge. Achieving it will require single minded dedication along with a lot of hard work. Hon’ble Ministers present in this Conference and all the delegates have wide experience in the area of labour. I am quite optimistic that if we pool together our strengths, we will be able to bring our country in the forefront of the community of nations.”


*****

ST/-
(Release ID :88000)

India to Host COP – 11 PM to Address the Conference on 16 October 2012

India to Host COP – 11
PM to Address the Conference on 16 October 2012 India is hosting the eleventh Conference of the Parties (CoP-11) to the CBD in Hyderabad on 1-19 October, 2012. There will be three components of CoP-11: the sixth Conference of the Parties serving as Meeting of the Parties (CoP/MoP-6) to the CBD’s Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to be held from 1-5 October 2012; the CoP-11 to the CBD from 8-19 October 2012; and the High Level Segment of CoP-11 from 16-19 October 2012. These meetings will be held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC). CoP-11 is expected to be the largest such conference to be held in the country, with participation of thousands of delegates from all countries of the world, including Ministers/Vice-Ministers, Ambassadors, senior Government officials, heads and senior officers of UN and multilateral agencies, private sector, academia, civil society organizations etc.

India is a recognised megadiverse country rich in biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge. With just 2.4% of the land area, India accounts for nearly 7% of the recorded species even while supporting almost 18% of human population as well as cattle population. The biotic pressure on our biodiversity is therefore immense.

For India, conservation of its biodiversity is crucial not only because it provides several goods and services necessary for human survival, but also because it is directly linked with providing livelihoods to and improving socio-economic conditions of millions of our local people, thereby contributing to sustainable development and poverty alleviation.

India is a Party to the CBD. The three objectives of the Convention are: conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. CBD is the first comprehensive global agreement addressing all aspects relating to biodiversity. It is a framework agreement that provides for flexible country-driven approach to its implementation. The Convention has near universal membership with 193 Parties. USA is the only major country which is not a Party to the CBD.

Two Protocols have so far been adopted under the aegis of CBD: the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) adopted in 2000, and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing adopted in 2010.

Despite intense biotic pressure, India has been able to harbour 7-8% of the world’s biodiversity. While most developing countries have lost forest cover, India has added around 3 million hectares of forests and tree cover in the last three decades. With a strong legal and policy framework on biodiversity, some recent positive initiatives relevant to biodiversity taken up include: Forests Rights Act, MG NREGA. Globally, India is recognized as a pioneer and trendsetter on biodiversity issues, and is a major player. On biodiversity, India speaks from a position of strength. Advancing biodiversity agenda contributes to equity as well as development agenda. This cannot the said of any other environmental issue under discussion in international fora.

Hosting of CoP-11 in India is a culmination of the biodiversity agenda being pursued by India during last few years. The event provides India with an opportunity to consolidate, scale-up and showcase our initiatives and strengths on biodiversity. India with a strong institutional, legal and policy framework, has the potential and capability to emerge as the world leader in conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and also to set the global agenda on biodiversity in the context of sustainable livelihoods during the UN Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020.

Hosting of CoP-11 would also bring in focus the need for balancing economic development, demographic pressures and environmental conservation in developing countries like India, and the need to spread awareness for better use and management of biological resources among different stakeholders. CoP-11 would provide a unique platform to display, promote, interact, learn and network from each other experiences and knowledge relating to biodiversity.

At the opening of CoP-11, the Presidency of CoP will be handed over by Japan (as the host of CoP-10) to the Indian Minister for Environment and Forests. India will be the President of CoP-11 for a two year period ending at the opening of the next CoP.

CoP-10 held in Nagoya in October 2010 had adopted the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 alongwith twenty Aichi biodiversity targets. These inter alia include: By 2020 atleast 17% of terrestrial and inland water (from the present 13%), and 10% of coastal and marine areas (from the present 1.6%) are conserved; By 2020, the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, is atleast halved; By 2020 areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry are managed sustainably. While adopting the ambitious Strategic Plan, CoP-10 could not agree on the targets for funding as the means to implement Strategic Plan and achieve Aichi targets.

CoP-11 is expected to come out with a road map for operationalisation of the Strategic Plan and Aichi targets; facilitation of early entry into force of Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing; and determine targets for mobilizing resources for implementing the Strategic Plan.

On resource mobilization, presently, the international flows for biodiversity directly and indirectly are approximately USD 6 billion, which is about 4.7% of the global ODA of USD 127 billion. To enable CoP-11 to agree on targets for resource mobilization for implementation of the Strategic Plan, an assessment of the requirement of funding to meet the Aichi targets at the global level is necessary. Towards this, a number of activities have been undertaken in the intersessional period.

India with Sweden, Ecuador and others co-sponsored a Dialogue seminar on finance in Quito in March 2012, the outcomes of which resulted in an improved understanding between the developed and developing countries. Thereafter, India alongwith UK have sponsored a High Level Panel for assessing the resources required globally to implement the Strategic Plan. An interim report of this Panel will be presented to CoP-11. The Panel has estimated that the costs for implementing the Aichi targets is between USD 150 billion to 430 billion annually, though coordinated action on the targets is expected to substantially reduce the total estimate. Parallely, a team of five experts commissioned by the CBD Secretariat have undertaken an assessment of the amount of funds that are necessary to assist developing countries in achieving Aichi targets, over the period 2014-2018. As per this assessment, the total funding needs for developing countries for the period 2014-2018 works out to be between USD 74 billion and 191 billion.

The outcome of these intersessional activities will be considered by CoP-11, for facilitating a decision on some interim commitments on resource mobilization, alongwith a road map that would include review by CoP-12 when more information is expected to become available.

India has also hosted and supported a number of workshops and meetings for capacity building on Protected Areas, national biodiversity strategies and biosafety. These efforts made by India have been well appreciated by the global community.

The CoP-MoP-6 will discuss and adopt further decisions for safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology. The discussions will inter alia focus on risk assessment and management of LMOs, socio-economic considerations, capacity building, information sharing, cooperation among countries, and resource mobilization to assist developing countries in meeting their global commitments towards safe use of LMOs.

The outcomes of CoP-MoP-6 and CoP-11 are in the form of decisions agreed to by consensus among all Parties to the CBD, which are binding on the Parties.

The High Level Segment will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in the afternoon of 16 October 2012. Several Ministers, Vice-Ministers and Ambassadors are likely to attend the High level Segment. There will be four Panel discussions on the following topics during the High Level Segment:

Panel I: Implementation of the Strategic Plan on Biodiversity 2011-2020
Panel II: Biodiversity for Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction
Panel III: Coastal and Marine Biodiversity
Panel IV: Implementation of Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit Sharing.

The outcome of High Level Segment will be in the form of Chair’s summary statement by the Minister for Environment and Forests.

MC/sk
(Release ID :88026)

States Advised to go for Early Sowing to make best use of Available Soil Moisture Shri Pawar Inaugurates Rabi Conference

States Advised to go for Early Sowing to make best use of Available Soil Moisture
Shri Pawar Inaugurates Rabi Conference

The two-day ‘National Conference on Agriculture For Rabi Campaign 2012’ begun here today with the call to maximise rabi production by making the best use of available soil moisture. The Centre has advised States to go for early sowing of rabi crops, especially in rainfed areas; this will help in using the moisture available in the soil due to wide-spread rains in August and September.

Inaugurating the Conference, Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Minister, Shri Sharad Pawar expressed the hope that with concerted efforts, it would be possible to compensate for the production loss suffered in kharif due to erratic rainfall. “The foodgrain target for 2012-13 is 249.52 million tonnes. There is no reason why we can’t achieve it,” he said.

The Agriculture Minister said that this rabi will set the tone for the 12th Plan. It will be possible to achieve the target of 4 % growth in agriculture production during the 12th Plan, he said. Elaborating further, the Ministers said that various schemes under the Agriculture Ministry will be merged for their effective implementation. The experience gained in the recent years in implementing major schemes such as RKVY, NFSM and the National Horticulture Mission will be used to make these schemes more productive, he said.

The Minister also called upon officers from different States and agricultural scientists to identify success stories in different aspects of agriculture. These can then be spread so that farmers benefit by replicating these.

The Conference will come out with a detailed strategy for the coming rabi season. The Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) has come out with crop and area-specific recommendations for wheat and other winter crops. These include use of high-yielding varieties, disease control and improved agronomic practices. These will also be discussed during the Conference. Special attention will be paid to maximising production of oilseeds and pulses. Besides general discussion, a separate session will be held with 8 States specifically on these crops. The States are: Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Delhi.

Two other areas have been identified for focussed discussion: proper use of pesticides, and taking knowledge and technology to the farmer’s field.

The Conference is being attended by senior officers of state agriculture departments, experts and representatives of the concerned ministries, and scientists from ICAR, other research institutes and crop directorates.

MOSs, Shri Harish Rawat and Dr. Charan Das Mahant also addressed the Conference.

Another press release on details of the first advance estimates of crop production has been issued today.

MP:DS:CP: rabi conference (24.9.2012)
(Release ID :87926)

Explosions are pretty scary. And they can happen anywhere. So make sure you explain explosives to your workers.

An explosion is actually a rapid—often very rapid—expansion of gases. Sometimes fire or a high pressure shock wave may go along with it. So tell your workers about these basic precautions they can take to prevent explosions:

• Become familiar with the substances in the workplace that could explode.
• Learn the conditions under which those substances could explode.
• Learn and use procedures to prevent explosions.
• Know what to do if the worst happens so they can reduce the risk of injury and extensive damage.

Inform your workers about the number of things that can explode:

• Actual explosives like dynamite, blasting caps, industrial explosive materials, or industrial gun cartridges can go off accidentally.
• Flammable materials can also explode. A special risk is confined flammable vapors and gases.
• Sparks or friction from electrical or mechanical equipment can cause an explosion by igniting explosive vapors or gases.
• A rupture or valve failure in compressed gas cylinders or large pressure vessels like steam boilers can cause an explosive release of gas pressure.
• Some chemicals can explode if they're mixed with incompatible substances. Some will even explode if exposed to air or water.

As this list indicates, explosions happen when something goes wrong. Materials designed to explode can be especially risky and must to be handled with great care. Ensure your workers are aware of the specific explosives present in your workplace

Train your workers on how they can help prevent explosions by following these commonsense safety procedures:

• Don’t smoke around anything that might burn or explode.
• Keep explosives away from heat sources.
• Watch out for heat buildup in containers or in the air.
• Be especially careful with explosives in confined spaces.
• Be sure ventilation equipment works properly when working with flammables or explosives.
• Clean up spills quickly when working with possible explosives.  Remove heat and ignition sources from the area.
• Keep your work area clean.
• Don’t expose explosives to air or heat when transferring to a new container.
• Use properly grounded containers for transferring flammables.
• Keep reactive chemicals away from each other.
• Don’t dump flammables on the ground or in a sewer.
• Follow company procedures to the letter when working with explosives.

Although handling an explosion is a job for professionals, workers should know what to do if there is an explosion. They have to act quickly to protect themselves and others.

Know the procedures in our contingency plan and follow them. Here’s the basic routine to follow:

• Know where fire-fighting equipment is kept and how to use it.
• Report the explosion immediately.
• Leave the area quickly, following the route assigned by the contingency plan.
• As you leave, notify everyone in the area to get out.
• Close doors and windows behind you to contain the problem.
• Keep upwind of the explosion.

Why It Matters

• In certain industries, explosive materials and/or conditions are a prevalent hazard and regular training is required to prevent explosions.
• Many workplaces, however, have some potential for explosive situations to occur.
• As a safety professional, you need to assess the danger level for explosives in your workplace and adjust your training accordingly.

Why do they call it a “Box Alarm”?

Why do they call it a “Box Alarm”?

This refers to the "Box System". Some alarms, such as a car or grass fire, did not get a full "box" alarm. These kinds of calls were often called still alarms. But even today many departments still use the Phantom Box System.

What is a “Joker Box” or telegraph alarm box?

For over fifty years this was a name given to the primary means of dispatching fire companies in many major cities of the U.S. and U. K.

Fire Alarm Pull Box and Watch Desk.
Parts of the working "Joker Box" system
at the Dallas Fire Dept. Museum.

At one time, on just about every street corner, there was a fire alarm pull box. In some cities there were thousands of these boxes. This box was connected to a telegraph wire. This one wire went to every fire station in the city. Inside the box was a spring loaded wheel. This wheel had bumps on it that corresponded to the number given to this box. If the box's number was #213, the wheel would have two bumps, then one bump, then three. When the handle on the outside of the box was pulled it released this spring loaded wheel to began turning. The bumps pressed down on a key that sent an electrical signal to every station in the city. At each station a bell would ring out the number of the box and punch holes in a paper tape at the watch desk. The companies who were assigned to respond to this box would then dispatch themselves. Every station kept track of every other station. If a first up company was out on some other call, the second up would have to know this and dispatch themselves. Many departments referred to as the "Joker Box System" or telegraph alarm system. This system was in place from the 1920's (or earlier) to well into the 1960's and 1970's in some cities. (It is still in use in some cities. See note below.)

If you look closely you will notice that there are no zeros used in this system. How would you ring a zero with a bell?

After the fire the chief, or his driver, would use a key to open the pull box, rewind the spring and reset the system.

What is a "Fire mark"?

What is a "Fire mark"?

Over a hundred years ago, this was a round (or other shape) iron, copper or lead emblem that was usually placed, on the wall, near the front door of a structure. It denoted the insurance company who had a policy on that property. It was usually made of enough metal to be able to withstand a fire.

The earliest fire marks may have been created soon after the Great Fire of London in 1666. After this fire, London created an insurance system and "fire companies". Once you paid your insurance and affixed the fire mark to your structure, you would have the services of one of the city charted companies. Fire marks (insurance company marks) were used in the U.S. from about 1750 to around 1900.

In the early days of the U. S., there were no municipal fire departments. Fire brigades were sometimes either owned, or paid, by insurance companies (or assurance companies) or supported by the community. Some stories tell that in some communities the fire brigade only responded to protect the property of those who had the insurance who owned this fire brigade. In other cities the fire brigades might have been independent companies. The story you hear, tells of the money going to the fire brigade who was successful in staking a claim on the property, which was on fire. One method of claiming a structure was to place a ladder on it. The first company to do so was allowed to fight the fire and was therefore paid by the insurance company. As you can imagine, there were problems with this system. Fire companies would have people whose main job it was to (A) ladder the building and (B) prevent the other company from doing so. There are many, apocryphal, stories of different fire brigades being involved in fist fights, in the front yard, while the structure burned.

But the thought that a burning home, with no fire mark, was left to burn, was probably not true. In fact, in the U.S., there is no evidence to support this belief. Volunteer fire departments were supported by community donations and many other sources of revenue. The insurance company's fire mark was possibly more of an indication of a "reward" for saving a particular structure, if anything other than advertising. For this reason one might hear of fire companies fighting over who would be allowed to fight a fire. Not all insurance companies paid a reward, but some may have. Much like today, some insurance companies simply donated money to the local volunteer fire departments. Only about one in ten insurance companies ever issued fire marks, so their value, or purpose, remains unclear. It is possible that a fire mark would have a different purpose or meaning depending upon the insurance company, the community, or the insured. see: http://www.firemarkcircle.org/documents/goodstory.htm

The fire marks shown above represented the companies listed below.

1. "The Green Tree" Philadelphia Contributorship which became the Mutual Assurance of Philadelphia (1784- )
2. Associated Fireman's Insurance Co. of Baltimore (cir. 1848)
3. Philadelphia Contributorship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire. First issued 1752.
4. Fire Insurance Co. of Baltimore (cir. 1835)

Where was the first professional fire department?

Where was the first professional fire department?

It depends. How do you define a "professional fire department"?

Note: Today all firefighters are considered "professional". They are divided between "volunteer" or "career" categories. Both are trained and have the same responsibilities and equipment standards.

The first full time department, in western culture, might have been in Rome some 2000 years ago. They had people who were selected to roam the city and not only sound the alarm and put out fires but enforce fire codes (sometimes with corporal punishment). These were called the "Corps of Vigiles". Unfortunately they were not exactly a "paid" department. Augustus Caesar formed this corps from slaves.

There are many claims to who would be the "first" "modern" "professional" fire brigade or department. What is "modern" or what is "professional"?

Credit for the first "professional fire brigade" is often given to Napoleon Bonaparte. While French emperor, he ordered that a division of the French army known as Sapeurs-Pompiers be used to protect Paris with 30 manual fire pumps around 1800. But there were people who were paid to provide some form of fire protection or suppression service, in Paris, many years prior to that. In 1699 François du Mouriez took interest in a better pump, fire hose and some other advancements, and provided 12 fire pumps to the city of Paris to become the first "fire chief" (director) of des pompes de la Ville de Paris in 1716. The French fire brigade was known as, "Compagnie des gardes-pompes" (literally the "Company of Pump Guards"). The French word for pumper, "pompier" became the name for French firefighters to this day. On March 11, 1733 the French government proclaimed that the service of the fire brigades would be free of charge. Prior to this there was a fee and people often avoid calling in order to avoid being charged.

Edinburgh, Scotland, claims to be the first organized municipal fire brigade in the world, when the Edinburgh Fire Engine Establishment was formed in 1824, led by James Braidwood. London followed in 1832 with the London Fire Engine Establishment. Clicking on a link about James Braidwood proclaims that he "is credited with the development of the modern municipal fire service." But this ignores the fact that Boston, as mentioned below, had a crew who was paid to maintain their one pump and respond to fires as early as 1678 and the fact that London established "fire companies" after the Great Fire of London in 1666. But in fairness, James Braidwood probably did contribute some major advances in firefighting. Prior to him, most firefighting was done from the streets. He pioneered and developed the strategy of entering and fighting fires from within the structure. One might assume that this advancement was made possible due to the invention of better pumps in 1725 and dependable leather fire hose in 1672.

Human Performance Modelling-PEAR Model COMPILED BY Dr.Purnima Sharma

The mnemonic PEAR is used to recall the four considerations for assessing and mitigating human factors in aviation maintenance:

• People who do the job;
• Environment in which they work;
• Actions they perform; and
• Resources necessary to complete the job.

People

Physical Factors

• Physical Size
• Gender
• Age
• Strength
• Sensory Limitations

Physiological Factors

• Nutritional factors
• Health
• Lifestyle
• Fatigue
• Chemical dependancy

Psychological Factors

• Workload
• Experience
• Knowledge
• Training
• Attitude
• Mental or emotional state

Psychosocial Factors

• Interpersonal conflicts
• Personal loss
• Financial hardships
• Recent divorce

Environment

Physical

• Weather
• Location inside/outside
• Workspace
• Shift
• Lighting
• Sound level
• Safety

Organisational

• Personnel
• Supervision
• Labour-management relations
• Pressures
• Crew structure
• Size of company
• Profitability
• Morale
• Corporate culture

Actions

• Steps to perform task
• Sequence of activity
• Number of people involved
• Communication requirements
• Information control requirements
• Knowledge requirements
• Skill requirements
• Attitude requirements
• Certification requirements
• Inspection requirements

Resources

• Procedures/work cards
• Technical manuals
• Other people
• Test equipment
• Tools
• Computers/software
• Paperwork/signoffs
• Ground handling equipment
• Work stands and lifts
• Fixtures
• Materials
• Task lighting
• Training
• Quality systems

Pilot-Controller Communications BY AJAY GIRI

1 Introduction
Until controller-pilot data link communication (CPDLC) comes into widespread use, air traffic control (ATC) will depend upon voice communications that are affected by various factors.
Aircraft operators and air traffic management (ATM) providers, like pilots and controllers, are close partners in terms of “productivity” for enhancing the airport and airspace flow capacity; operators and ATM should also be close partners in terms of “safety” or risk management.
Communication between controllers and pilots can be improved by the mutual understanding of each other’s operating environment.
This briefing note provides an overview of various factors that may affect pilot-controller communications. It may be used to develop a company awareness program for enhancing pilot-controller communications.

2 Data
Incorrect or incomplete pilot-controller communication is a causal or circumstantial factor in 80 percent of incidents or accidents, as illustrated in Table 1.
A survey of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) database identifies the following factors affecting pilot-controller communications:

Factor	Percentage of Reports
Incorrect communication	80%
Absence of communication	33%
Correct but late communication	12%

Table 1 Communication Factors in NASA ASRS Reports

The survey also reveals how various modes of communications are affected:

Mode of Communication	Percentage of Reports
Listening	45%
Speaking	30%
Reading and writing	25%

Table 2 Communication Factors in NASA ASRS Reports

Incorrect or inadequate ATC instructions (e.g., radar vectors), weather or traffic information, and advice or service in emergencies are causal factors in more than 30 percent of approach and landing accidents.

3 Remarks
Although pilot-controller communications are not limited to the issuance and acknowledgement of clearances, this briefing note primarily refers to clearances because they provide a convenient example to illustrate this overview.

4 Pilot-Controller Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the pilot and controller intentionally overlap in many areas to provide redundancy.
This shared responsibility is intended to compensate for communications failures that might affect safety.

5 The Pilot-Controller Communication Loop
The pilot-controller communication loop supports the safety and redundancy of pilot-controller communications, as illustrated by Figure 1.



Figure 1 The Pilot-Controller Communication Loop

The pilot-controller communication loop constitutes a confirmation and correction process that ensures the integrity of communications.
Whenever adverse factors are likely to affect communications, strict adherence to this closed loop constitutes a line of defense against communications errors.
Readback and hearback errors may result in one or more of the following types of events, ranked by the number observed in 1992 and 1993 (NASA ASRS, 1994):

• Operational deviation (nonadherence to legal requirements)
• Altitude deviation
• Airborne conflict
• Less-than-desired separation
• Lateral deviation
• Runway incursion
• Ground conflict
• Airspace penetration
• Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT)
• Near midair collision

6 Achieving Effective Communications — Obstacles and Lessons Learned
Pilots and controllers are involved equally in the air traffic management system.
Achieving effective radio communication involves many factors that should not be considered in isolation.
Many factors are closely interrelated, and more than one cause usually is involved in a breakdown of the communications loop.
The following provides an overview and discussion of factors involved in effective pilot-controller communications.

6.1 Human factors aspects in effective communication
Effective communication is achieved when our mental process is able to accommodate and to interpret the information contained in a message.
This mental process can be summarized as:

• How do we perceive the message?
• How do we reconstruct the information contained in the message?
• How do we link this information to an objective or to an expectation?
• What bias or error is introduced in this process?

Research in crew resource management (CRM) highlights the relevance of the context and expectations in this process. Nevertheless, expectations may introduce either a positive or negative bias in the effectiveness of the communications.
Workload, fatigue, nonadherence to the sterile cockpit rule, distractions, interruptions, conflicts and pressure are among the factors that may affect adversely pilot-controller communications and result in:

• Incomplete communication
• Omission of call sign or use of an incorrect call sign
• Use of nonstandard phraseology
• Failure to listen or respond
• Failure to effectively implement the confirmation-correction loop

6.2 Language and communications
CRM studies show that language differences are a more fundamental obstacle to safety in the cockpit than cultural differences.
In response to a series of accidents involving language skills as a causal factor, an effort has been initiated to improve the English-language skills of pilots and controllers worldwide.
Nevertheless, even pilots and controllers for whom English is the native language may not understand all communications spoken in English because of regional accents, dialects or different word usage.
Language differences generate significant communications difficulties worldwide.
The practice of controllers who use English for international flights and the country’s native language for domestic flights prevents pilots from achieving the desired level of situational awareness due to loss of “party-line” communicatons.

6.3 Communication techniques
The first priority of any communication is to establish an operational context by using markers and modifiers to define the following elements:

• Purpose — clearance, instruction, conditional statement or proposal, question or request, confirmation
• When — immediately, anticipated or expected
• What and how — altitude (climb, descend, maintain), heading (left or right), airspeed
• Where — (i.e., before or at a waypoint)

The structure and construction of the initial and subsequent messages should support this context by:

• Following the chronological order of the sequence of actions
• Grouping instructions and numbers related to each action
• Limiting the number of instructions in the transmission

The intonation, speech rate and placement and duration of pauses may positively or adversely affect the correct understanding of a communication.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 10, Volume II, and PANS ATM (Doc. 4444) provides rules and procedures for pilot-controller communications.
ICAO guidelines and techniques for radio transmission highlight the following objectives:

• Transmissions shall be conducted concisely in a normal conversational tone
• Full use shall be made of standard phraseologies whenever prescribed in ICAO documents and procedures
• Speech-transmitting techniques shall be such that the highest possible intelligibility is incorporated in each transmission.

To reach these objectives, pilots and controllers should:

• Enunciate each word clearly and distinctly
• Maintain an even rate of speech (not exceeding — typically — 100 words per minute)
• Make a slight pause preceding and following numerals; this makes them easier to understand
• Maintain the speaking volume at a constant level
• Be familiar with microphone-operating techniques (particularly in maintaining a constant distance from the microphone if the aircraft does not have a constant-level modulator)
• Suspend speech temporarily if it becomes necessary to turn the head away from the microphone

6.4 Use of nonstandard phraseology
Use of nonstandard phraseology is a major obstacle to voice communications.
Standard phraseology is intended to be easily and quickly recognized.
Pilots and controllers expect each other to use standard phraseology.
Standard phraseology helps lessen the ambiguities of spoken language and thus guarantees a common understanding among speakers

• of different native languages, or
• of the same native language but who use or understand words differently (e.g., regional accents or dialects).

Nonstandard phraseology or the omission of key words may change completely the meaning of the intended message, resulting in potential conflicts.
For example, any message containing a number should indicate whether the number refers to an altitude, a heading or an airspeed. Including such key words prevents an erroneous interpretation and allows an effective readback and hearback.
Pilots and controllers might use nonstandard phraseology with good intentions; however standard ICAO phraseology always minimizes the potential for misunderstanding.
Use of nonstandard phraseology may result from national practice.
The most significant example is the North American phrase “Taxi into position and hold.” It has the same meaning as the ICAO phrase “Line up and wait,” whereas the ICAO phrase “Taxi to holding position” is a clearance to taxi to and hold at a point clear of the runway (e.g., the CAT I or CAT II/III holding point or line).

6.5 Building situational awareness
Radio communications (including party-line communications) contribute to building the pilot’s and the controller’s situational awareness.
Flight crew and controllers may prevent misunderstandings by providing each other with timely information, for better anticipation.
At all times, pilots should build and update a mental picture of the other traffic in the vicinity of their intended flight or ground path.

6.6 Frequency congestion
Frequency congestion significantly affects the correct flow of communications during critical phases such as takeoff and departure, and approach and landing, particularly at high-density airports. congestion requires enhanced vigilance by pilots and controllers.

6.7 Omission of call sign
Omitting the call sign or using an incorrect call sign jeopardizes an effective readback and hearback process.

6.8 Lack of readback or incomplete readback (readback errors)
ICAO Annex 11 requires that the safety-related part(s) of any clearance or instruction be read back by the pilot to the controller.
The following parts of a clearance shall always be read back:

• ATC route clearances
• Clearances and instructions to enter, land, take off, hold short of, cross or backtrack on a runway
• Runway in use
• Altimeter setting
• ATC transponder code
• Altitude or flight level instructions
• Heading and speed instructions
• Transition levels (whether issued by the controller or broadcast by the automatic terminal information system [ATIS])

The pilot’s readback must be complete and clear to ensure a complete and correct understanding by the controller.
The readback message shall always include the flight call sign.
Readback of a hold short, crossing, takeoff or landing instruction shall always include the runway designator.
The use of the term “roger” is not an acceptable readback as it does not allow the controller to confirm or correct the clearance or instruction, thus decreasing the pilot’s and the controller’s situational awareness.

• A pilot may use “roger” to acknowledge a message containing numbers (instead of a normal readback), thus preventing effective hearback and correction by the controller, or
• A controller may use “roger” to acknowledge a message requiring a specific answer (e.g., a positive confirmation or correction, such as acknowledging a pilot’s statement that an altitude or a speed restriction cannot be met ).

6.9 Failure to correct an erroneous readback (hearback errors)
Any readback by the pilot requires a hearback by the controller in order to close the communications loop.
Most pilots perceive the absence of an acknowledgement or correction following a clearance readback as an implicit confirmation of the readback.
The absence of acknowledgement by the controller is usually the result of radio frequency congestion that requires the controller to issue clearances and instructions to several aircraft.
The controller’s failure to correct an erroneous readback (a hearback error) may cause deviations from the assigned altitude or noncompliance with altitude restrictions or radar vectors.
A deviation from a clearance or instruction may not be detected until the controller observes the deviation on the radar display.
Less-than-required vertical or horizontal separation, near midair collisions and runway incursions are usually the result of hearback errors. Perceiving what was expected or wanted (not what was actually said)
The bias of expectation can affect the correct understanding of communications by pilots and controllers.
It involves perceiving what was expected or wanted and not what was actually said.
The bias of expectation can lead to:

• Transposing the numbers contained in a clearance (e.g., an altitude or flight level) to what was expected, based on experience or routine, or
• Shifting a clearance or instruction from one parameter to another (e.g., perceiving a clearance to maintain a 280-degree heading as a clearance to climb or descend to and maintain FL 280).

6.10 Failure to seek confirmation when a message is not understood
Misunderstandings may include half-heard words or guessed-at numbers.
The potential for misunderstanding numbers increases when a given ATC clearance contains more than two instructions.

6.11 Failure to request clarification when in doubt
Reluctance to seek confirmation or clarification may cause pilots to either:

• Accept an inadequate instruction (over-reliance on ATC), or
• Define by themselves the most probable interpretation.

Failure to request clarification may cause the flight crew to believe erroneously that they have received the expected clearance (e.g., clearance to cross an active runway).

6.12 Failure to question an incorrect or inadequate ATC instruction
Failing to question an incorrect or inadequate instruction may cause a crew to accept an altitude clearance below the sector minimum safe altitude (MSA) or a heading that places the aircraft near obstructions or on a collision course with another aircraft.

6.13 Taking a clearance or instruction issued to another aircraft
This usually occurs when two aircraft with similar-sounding call signs are on the same frequency and are likely to receive similar instructions or if the call sign is blocked by another transmission.
When pilots of different aircraft with similar-sounding call signs omit the call sign on readback, or when simultaneous readbacks are made by both pilots, the error may not be noticed by the pilots and the controller.
Some national authorities have instituted call sign deconfliction programs (see the briefing note Level Bust) to minimize or eliminate this threat.
Eurocontrol recommends that all operators study their schedules and arrange call signs to reduce the chances of company aircraft operating in the same airspace at the same time with similar call signs.

6.14 Effective listening — filtering communications
Effective communication requires active and intensive listening by all those involved concentrating on each part and word in order to fully understand the whole message.
Because of other flight deck duties, pilots tend to filter communications, listening primarily to communications that begin with their aircraft call sign and not hearing other communications.
For workload reasons, controllers also may filter communications (e.g., not hearing or responding to a pilot readback while being engaged in issuing clearances or instructions to other aircraft or ensuring coordination with another ATC facility).
To maintain situational awareness, this filtering or selection process should be adapted according to the flight phase for more effective listening. For example,

• Whenever occupying an active runway (e.g., while backtracking, holding in position or lined up and ready for takeoff) or when conducting a final approach to an assigned runway, pilots should listen and give attention to all communications related to the runway, and
• When operating in a congested airspace, pilots should listen and give attention to all communications related to clearances to climb or descend to or through their altitude.

6.15 Timeliness of communications
Deviating from an ATC clearance may be required for operational reasons (e.g., performing a heading or altitude deviation for traffic or weather avoidance).
Both the pilot and the controller need time to accommodate such deviations; therefore, the controller should be notified as early as possible to obtain a timely acknowledgement.
Similarly, when about to enter a known non-radar-controlled (FIR), contacting the new air route traffic control center (ARTCC) about 10 minutes before reaching the FIR boundary may prevent misunderstandings or less-than-required separation.
Blocked transmissions (simultaneous communications)
Blocked transmissions often are the result of not immediately releasing the push-to-talk switch after transmitting or a “stuck-mike” situation.
An excessive pause in a message such as holding the push-to-talk switch while preparing the next item of the transmission may also result in blocking part of the response or part of another message.
Simultaneous transmission by two stations (two aircraft or one aircraft and ATC) results in one or both transmissions being unheard by the other stations or being heard as a buzzing sound or squeal.
The absence of a readback by the pilot or the absence of a hearback acknowledgement by the controller should be considered as an indication of a possibly blocked transmission and thus prompt a request to repeat or confirm the information.
Blocked transmissions are responsible for many altitude deviations, missed turnoffs and takeoffs and landings without clearance.

6.16 Total loss of communications
In case of suspected or confirmed total loss of voice communications, the flight crew should comply with prescribed general procedures or with the special procedures published for the specific airspace or airport.
Broadcasting in the blind or using another aircraft as a relay may be done in areas of known low-quality HF or VHF transmissions.

7 Communicating With ATC on Specific Events
The following events or encounters should be reported as soon as practical to ATC, stating the nature of the event or encounter, the actions taken and the flight crew’s further intentions:

• Traffic-alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) or airborne collision avoidance system (ACAS) resolution advisory (RA) events
• Severe turbulence
• Volcanic ash
• Wind shear or microburst
• Maneuver in response to a ground-proximity warning system (GPWS)/terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) warning
• Pilot-Controller Communications in Emergency Situations

In an emergency, the flight crew and the controller should adopt a clear and concise communication pattern.

7.1 Flight crew
In an emergency, the flight crew should be aware that the controller may not be familiar with the aircraft and its performance capability.
The controller may not understand a message that is too technical; a simple message should be used to inform the controller of the prevailing condition.
In an emergency, the initial message should comply with the standard ICAO phraseology — “Pan Pan, Pan Pan, Pan Pan” (urgency) or “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday” (emergency) — depending on the criticality of the prevailing condition, to alert the controller to the level of urgency and trigger an appropriate response.
Then, to explain the situation, simple and short messages should be used highlighting the operational implications of the prevailing condition.

7.2 Controllers
Controllers should recognize that in an emergency situation, the flight crew’s most important needs are:

• Time
• Airspace
• Silence on frequency

The controller’s response to the emergency situation could be patterned after the ASSIST memory aid developed by Amsterdam Schiphol ATC:

• Acknowledge — Ensure that the reported emergency is well-understood and acknowledged.
• Separate — Establish and maintain separation with other traffic and terrain.
• Silence — Impose silence on your control frequency, if necessary, and do not delay or disturb urgent cockpit actions by unnecessary transmissions.
• Inform — Inform your supervisor and other sectors, units and airports as appropriate.
• Support — Provide maximum support to the flight crew.
• Time — Give flight crew sufficient time to manage the emergency.

8 Awareness and Training Program
A company awareness and training program on pilot-controller communications should involve both ATC personnel and pilots during meetings and simulator sessions to promote a mutual understanding of each other’s working environment, including:

• Modern flight decks (e.g., FMS programming)
• Modern ATC equipment (e.g., elimination of primary returns such as weather returns on synthetic radar displays)
• Operational requirements (e.g., aircraft deceleration characteristics or performance limitations), and
• Procedures (e.g., SOPs) and practices (e.g., CRM).

Special emphasis should be placed on pilot-controller communications and task management during emergency situations.

9 Key Points
Achieving effective pilot-controller communications requires a holistic approach and emphasizing these key points:

• Adherence to company SOPs
• Understanding of pilots’ and controllers’ respective working environments and constraints
• Disciplined use of standard phraseology
• Strict adherence to the pilot-controller communication loop
• Alertness to request clarification or confirmation when in doubt
• Readiness to question an incorrect clearance or an inadequate instruction
• Preventing simultaneous transmissions
• Adapting listening of party-line communications as a function of the flight phase
• Adopting clear, concise and adapted communications in an emergency situation

In addition, the company’s operations manual and SOPs should define the following policies:

• Primary language for use with ATC and in the cockpit, and
• Use of headsets below 10,000 ft.