Girl students irked over frequent drain blocks inside MMC hostel
A student told the TNIE, "Around 450 MBBS and pharmacology students are residing inside the hostel, and though the entire premises is safe, the blocked drainage system is a recurring problem. As these channels spread through the hostel, two months ago clogged drains overflowed into the hostel rooms. Many students are upset about it. Despite complaints, college authorities have not taken action against it."
Another student said, "There are four blocks and few of them are more than 20 years old and these are used as residential settlements for the girl students pursuing MBBS and pharmacology. Though renovations are carried out in these buildings, nothing has been done to fix the drainage channels for the past several decades. Rain or blockage in the channel leads to water overflowing inside the premises, creating a nuisance or leaving a foul smell. Though the water flow is contained when the blocks are removed, it gets back to its old condition after a week."
When the TNIE contacted Dr L Arul Sundaresh Kumar, GRH dean, he said, "We are aware of the issue faced by the students residing in the girls' hostel. When it was reported, we immediately removed the silt and blocks from the channels. However, this is temporary, and we have decided to renovate all the drainage and sewage channels as they are old and require extensive work. So, we have sent a proposal to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME) in Chennai and the renovation cost is estimated to be Rs 2 crore. However, after acceptance, the work will be carried out."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
ICMR says Indians taking too much salt, launches study to address issue
Excessive salt consumption is fuelling a silent epidemic in India with people at increased risk of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and kidney disorders, according to scientists from ICMR's National Institute of Epidemiology. The scientists have initiated a community-led salt reduction study to address the issue and are focusing on low sodium salt substitutes. While the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends less than 5 grams of salt per person per day, studies show that urban Indians consume around 9.2 grams/day, and even in rural areas it is around 5.6 grams/day - both higher than recommended. One promising tool in this effort is low-sodium salt substitutes -- ?blends where part of the sodium chloride is replaced with potassium or magnesium salts, Dr Sharan Murali, a senior scientist at National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) and principal investigator of the study, said. "Lesser sodium consumption helps reduce blood pressure and improves overall heart health, making low-sodium alternatives a meaningful switch, especially for those with hypertension," Dr Murali stated. "Just switching to low-sodium salt can lower blood pressure by 7/4 mmHg on average'?a small change with a big impact," Dr Murali said. To tackle the issue of high salt consumption, the NIE has launched a three-year intervention project in Punjab and Telangana, supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of structured salt reduction counselling, delivered by health workers at Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), in reducing blood pressure and sodium intake among individuals with hypertension, senior scientist at NIE, Dr Ganesh Kumar, who is also a part of the study, said.. "We are currently in the first year of the project, focused on baseline assessments and field preparations," Dr Kumar said. "Counselling materials are not yet finalised; rather, we aim to co-create the intervention package with the community health workers, drawing on their experiences and incorporating their suggestions. It's not just about delivering health education - ?it's about listening, understanding, and building together," Dr Murali said. To ensure interventions are grounded in reality, the NIE conducted a market survey across 300 retail outlets in Chennai to assess the availability and pricing of low-sodium salt (LSS). They found that LSS was available in only 28 per cent of retail outlets. It was seen in 52 per cent of supermarkets, but a dismal 4 per cent in small grocery shops. The price of LSS averaged Rs 5.6 per 100g, more than twice the price of normal iodised salt (Rs 2.7 per 100g). These findings highlight a critical supply-demand disconnect, Dr Murali said. "The lower demand for low sodium salt might be leading to its lower availability - it's a proxy indicator of awareness and access," noted Dr. Murali. To spark a public conversation around salt reduction, the NIE has also recently launched the #PinchForAChange campaign on Twitter and LinkedIn through ICMR-NIE. Using infographics, facts, and simple messages, the campaign aims to raise awareness about hidden salt sources, promote low-sodium alternatives, and empower individuals to make heart-healthy choices. "If successful, this project could lead to the integration of sustainable dietary counselling models into the existing public health system. It can bridge the gap between knowledge and action, improve health literacy, and ultimately reduce the burden of hypertension-related diseases. "This is not just about reducing salt. It's about restoring balance in our diets, our systems, and our hearts. Together, one pinch at a time, we can create lasting change," Dr Murali added.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Are Indians consuming excess salt leading to increased risk of chronic diseases? ICMR launches study to address glaring issue
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Excessive intake of salt has become the cause of increased risk of hypertension , stroke, heart disease and kidney disporders, scientists from National Institute of Epidemiology scientists have launched a community-led salt reduction study to address the issue, focusing on low sodium salt substitutes Urban Indians consume close to double the World Health Organisation 's recommended level of 5 gram grams of salt per person per day. On an average a person in the urban areas consumes 9.2 grams of salt in a day, while a rural Indian has 5.6 grams/day, both higher than recommended.A tool used in the effort to decrease salt intake is low sodium salt substitutes. It constitutes of blends where part of the sodium chloride is replaced with potassium or magnesium salts, Dr Sharan Murali, a senior scientist at National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) and principal investigator of the study, said."Lesser sodium consumption helps reduce blood pressure and improves overall heart health, making low-sodium alternatives a meaningful switch, especially for those with hypertension," Dr Murali stated."Just switching to low-sodium salt can lower blood pressure by 7/4 mmHg on average is a small change with a big impact," Dr Murali NIE has launched a three-year intervention project in Punjab and Telangana to tackle the serious issue. It is being done with the support of the Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR ).The aim of the project is to evaluate the effectiveness of structured salt reduction counselling, delivered by health workers at Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), in reducing blood pressure and sodium intake among individuals with hypertension, senior scientist at NIE, Dr Ganesh Kumar, who is also a part of the study, said."We are currently in the first year of the project, focused on baseline assessments and field preparations," Dr Kumar said."Counselling materials are not yet finalised; rather, we aim to co-create the intervention package with the community health workers, drawing on their experiences and incorporating their suggestions. It's not just about delivering health education, it's about listening, understanding, and building together," Dr Murali NIE conducted a market survey across 300 retail outlets in Chennai to assess the availability and pricing of low-sodium salt (LSS) to ensure interventions are grounded in study found that LSS was available in only 28 per cent of retail outlets. It was seen in 52 per cent of supermarkets, but only in 4 per cent in small grocery price of LSS averaged Rs 5.6 per 100g, which is more than twice the price of normal iodised salt (Rs 2.7 per 100g).These findings highlight a critical supply-demand disconnect, Dr Murali said."The lower demand for low sodium salt might be leading to its lower availability - it's a proxy indicator of awareness and access," noted Dr. raise more awareness, the NIE has also recently launched the #PinchForAChange campaign on Twitter and LinkedIn through infographics, facts, and simple messages, the campaign aims to raise awareness about hidden salt sources, promote low-sodium alternatives, and empower individuals to make heart-healthy choices."If successful, this project could lead to the integration of sustainable dietary counselling models into the existing public health system . It can bridge the gap between knowledge and action, improve health literacy, and ultimately reduce the burden of hypertension-related diseases."This is not just about reducing salt. It's about restoring balance in our diets, our systems, and our hearts. Together, one pinch at a time, we can create lasting change," Dr Murali added.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
ICMR says Indians taking too much salt, launches study to address issue
New Delhi, Jul 13 (PTI) Excessive salt consumption is fuelling a silent epidemic in India with people at increased risk of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, and kidney disorders, according to scientists from ICMR's National Institute of Epidemiology. The scientists have initiated a community-led salt reduction study to address the issue and are focusing on low sodium salt substitutes. While the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends less than 5 grams of salt per person per day, studies show that urban Indians consume around 9.2 grams/day, and even in rural areas it is around 5.6 grams/day – both higher than recommended. One promising tool in this effort is low-sodium salt substitutes — �blends where part of the sodium chloride is replaced with potassium or magnesium salts, Dr Sharan Murali, a senior scientist at National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) and principal investigator of the study, said. 'Lesser sodium consumption helps reduce blood pressure and improves overall heart health, making low-sodium alternatives a meaningful switch, especially for those with hypertension," Dr Murali stated. 'Just switching to low-sodium salt can lower blood pressure by 7/4 mmHg on average'�a small change with a big impact," Dr Murali said. To tackle the issue of high salt consumption, the NIE has launched a three-year intervention project in Punjab and Telangana, supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of structured salt reduction counselling, delivered by health workers at Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), in reducing blood pressure and sodium intake among individuals with hypertension, senior scientist at NIE, Dr Ganesh Kumar, who is also a part of the study, said.. 'We are currently in the first year of the project, focused on baseline assessments and field preparations," Dr Kumar said. 'Counselling materials are not yet finalised; rather, we aim to co-create the intervention package with the community health workers, drawing on their experiences and incorporating their suggestions. It's not just about delivering health education – �it's about listening, understanding, and building together," Dr Murali said. To ensure interventions are grounded in reality, the NIE conducted a market survey across 300 retail outlets in Chennai to assess the availability and pricing of low-sodium salt (LSS). They found that LSS was available in only 28 per cent of retail outlets. It was seen in 52 per cent of supermarkets, but a dismal 4 per cent in small grocery shops. The price of LSS averaged Rs 5.6 per 100g, more than twice the price of normal iodised salt (Rs 2.7 per 100g). These findings highlight a critical supply-demand disconnect, Dr Murali said. 'The lower demand for low sodium salt might be leading to its lower availability – it's a proxy indicator of awareness and access," noted Dr. Murali. To spark a public conversation around salt reduction, the NIE has also recently launched the #PinchForAChange campaign on Twitter and LinkedIn through ICMR-NIE. Using infographics, facts, and simple messages, the campaign aims to raise awareness about hidden salt sources, promote low-sodium alternatives, and empower individuals to make heart-healthy choices. 'If successful, this project could lead to the integration of sustainable dietary counselling models into the existing public health system. It can bridge the gap between knowledge and action, improve health literacy, and ultimately reduce the burden of hypertension-related diseases. 'This is not just about reducing salt. It's about restoring balance in our diets, our systems, and our hearts. Together, one pinch at a time, we can create lasting change," Dr Murali added. PTI PLB DV DV view comments First Published: July 13, 2025, 12:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
