GOVERNMENT OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH
                                     DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION PUBLIC RELATIONS & PRINTING
                                     // NAHARLAGUN //

NO.IPR(PR)86/2000 Dated Naharlagun, the 26th, April' 2005.

                                                                      PRESS RELEASE

Sl. No. 221

Naharlagun April 26 :- Upper Siang Deputy commissioner Gamli Padu has expressed concerned over  the opium menace at Pongging and its adjoining villages in upper siang and urged  the people to give it up once for all for a better and healthy living, reports DIPRO, Yingkiong..

Inaugurating a three day free health camp organized by the Panggi welfare society  Padu, Silli jeru and Pongging villages under the aegis of district administration and district medical officer in upper Siang District Kafan Circle of Upper Siang district at Pongging on April 22 last, Mr Padu urged the people to take full benefit of the health camp and appreciated the efforts of the Panggi Welfare society.  Identified as one of the highly malaria  infected zones Mr. Padu said that there
are many other remote villages in the district lacking behind in health care and other infrastructure development, which too could be covered through such programmes.

Although Pongging is a land-locked small hamlet located in a corner near Siang Yamne confluence without any infrastructure, it has a lot of potentials to boost up tourism in near future , he added. The Deputy Commissioner also inaugurated a school building at Jeru village and a community hall at Jeying  funded under Decentralized District planning Fund 2004-05. While addressing the gathering at Jeying, Mr. Padu  asked the Circle Officer, Katan to destroy the rampant poppy cultivation at Padu and Silli villages within a weeks time.

Earlier, the President Panggi Welfare Society , Mr. Onit panyang, who is also the Addl. Deputy Commissioner, Upper Siang District, dwelt at length about the necessity of organizing such free health camp. He further informed  the  occurrence of malaria and other water-borne disease in epidemic form around the year in those areas which  is an abnormal phenomenon that  concern everybody as the area is lacking in infrastructure due to its peculiar location and difficult terrain.

The District Reproductive Child Health Officer, Upper Siang District, Dr. Kaling Dai ,said that 90% of the total population of Pongging were found to be malaria positive in R.M.test while Padu, Silli and Jjeru are around 30 to 40% . Besides R.M. test  numbers of blood slides were also collected on the spot for examination at District Hospital, Yingkiong. out of 260 households 400 persons were treated besides health counseling, spraying of DDT and distribution of medicated
mosquito nets to each household of the 4 villages.

Dr.(Mrs.) G.Litin Panyang, Superintendent  District Hospital, Yingkiong, Medical Officers along with paramedical staff
executive members of Panggi Welfare Society, Circle officer, Katan were among others who attended the programme amidst huge gathering of general public.


Deputy Director(PR)