2009 in Black & White

Pune’s first case of swine flu,a techie:Pune has its first case of H1N1 virus ,a 24-year-old software engineer who hails from Uttar Pradesh and stays in the city. The case has been confirmed by National Institute of Virology (NIV). The engineer has been quarantined at the Naidu Hospital.

Negative inflation but no positive effect on city:Inflation may be witnessing a negative growth now,but it certainly is not having the desired effect on the prices of commodities in the city. Judging from the mood of consumers,the pace at which prices are rising may beat even the trend seen when the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) was shooting up. Retail prices of many items have risen by around 50 per cent,in some cases by 100 per cent,in the city ever since inflation rate started dipping from its high of 13 per cent in August 2008.

City could be key link in cocaine trade,say cops:The recent arrest of Kenyan national Micah Aloo Dumbi (29) in Bangalore for cocaine trade has cast the city in a bad light. According to the police,Pune could be a major link in the trade of cocaine,a narcotic substance costing over Rs 10,000 a gram. Joint Commissioner (crime) Alok Kumar of Bangalore police told Newsline over phone that Micah had brought cocaine to Bangalore thrice in June,through his friend in Pune,also a Kenyan national.

After 15 H1N1 cases,school shuts for a week:After a four-hour meeting with over 1,000 parents at the jampacked Yashwantrao Chavan hall at Kothrud on Tuesday morning,Abhinav English Medium School authorities decided to shut the pre-primary,primary and secondary school till Sunday and cancel the first unit tests scheduled during this period. The parents were told to ensure that the children observe home quarantine and do not maintain any social contact with the outside world.

Phule no more,end of an era in Marathi cinema:Noted theatre and film actor Neelkanth Krishnaji alias Nilu Phule (79) died at a private hospital here on Monday.Phule was suffering from an advanced stage of cancer of the oesophagus that had spread to various parts of his body,including the brain. He was admitted to the hospital on July 5 in a critical condition and never recovered.

June- July
Total solar eclipse: Nalanda,Shanghai on astronomers’ itinerary:Even as many scientists are tying up their travel plans to China in July this year to observe the total solar eclipse,smaller groups of amateur astronomers from the city are making their way towards Bihar,Madhya Pradesh and the Northeast to witness the eclipse,which is occurring in India after 10 years. What is making July 22 more significant is that the next solar eclipse in India has been slated for 2034 — which is 25 years away.

Pune best among emerging cities for investment:UK-India Business Council: Puneites may have negative things to say about the condition of the city’s roads. However,a report prepared,on June 9,by trade facilitation body UK-India Business Council (UKIBC) has ranked Pune as the most suitable place among emerging Indian cities for British investments in India.

Civic body pushes state bid to amend Tree Act:The Pune Municipal Corporation has come out with suggestions to push forward the state government bid to amend the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act,1975. The amendment is to formulate a statewide policy on maintaining heritage trees and wildlife. The INTACH has already undertaken a study on finding old and rare trees that can be included in heritage

DRDO explosives detection kit to get global attention:The indigenous explosive detection kit,devised by the High Energy Material Research Lab (HEMRL),was initially designed as an import substitute. But lately it is attracting a fair bit of international attention as well. Two US-based companies,one Hungarian company and two Indian companies are in the fray to manufacture the kit on a commercial basis. Through the explosive detection kit,the police can instantly identify the explosive that was used for the detonation in the aftermath of a blast.

Sanction for city’s first 100-metre building,more proposals in queue:The city is set to scale new heights. Having approved the first 100-metre building in the Ghorpadi area with several such proposals likely to come up for sanction,divisional commissioner Dilip Band said,“Pune is set to see a change in its skyline. There are many builders who want to construct such buildings. This is going to give city a different look.”

Anganwadi kids to learn English,courtesy ZP:Now,anganwadi children aged three to six are set to learn English. Pune Zilla Parishad chief executive officer Dr Sanjeev Kumar,who incidentally used his medical background to introduce healthcare schemes like prevention of anaemia among girls,has launched a library project. He distributed books from China and Australia at ten anganwadis in Wagholi.