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Puducherry (The Hawk): On Wednesday, Lakshmi, an elephant at Puducherry's Sri Manakula Vinayagar temple, passed away.
The cow elephant swooned and passed away on the road after being led for a morning stroll by its two mahouts. Only after a postmortem could the 32-year-old elephant's cause of death be determined.
R V Janakiraman, a former chief minister and DMK leader, gave the elephant to the temple as a gift.
As soon as word of Lakshmi's passing spread, a sizable crowd gathered.
The elephant received tributes from the lieutenant governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, PWD minister K Lakshminarayanan, former chief minister V Narayanansamy, and others.
After being obliged to stand for extended periods of time on a concrete path in front of the temple, Lakshmi developed severe foot rot illness, a fungal condition prevalent in captive elephants.
The Puducherry government has received numerous requests from People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) to relocate Lakshmi to a sanctuary. The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), which evaluated the elephant's mental and physical condition in 2015, published a report outlining concerns for the elephant's health and safety.
(Inputs from Agencies)

On Wednesday, Lakshmi, an elephant at Puducherry's Sri Manakula Vinayagar temple, passed away. The cow elephant swooned and passed away on the road after being led for a morning stroll by its two mahouts. Only after a postmortem could the 32-year-old elephant's cause of death be determined.

Elephant "Lakshmi" from the Puducherry temple falls and dies on the highway

Puducherry: The Union Territory of Puducherry has suspended classes for students from standards 1 to 8 till September 25, after a hike in the number of influenza cases in the territory.
The closure was initiated after the state Health Department gave a recommendation to this effect and the decision was made by Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, and Minister for Education, A. Namassivayam.
The Directorate of School Education in a statement on Saturday said that the holidays will be applicable for LKG, and UKG students as well.&nbsp;
Health Department officials told IANS that in the past week, there was an estimated increase of 50 per cent in cases of influenza among children who are visiting various health clinics.
The officials added that most of the children are arriving with high fever and cough and the spread is on the rise.
Dr. R. Santhanakrishnan of a Government hospital at Karaikkal, while speaking to IANS said: "The flu-like illness is spreading when children inhale droplets from infected persons or when they are in direct contact with mucous from patients. This has led to the high spread among children attending schools.
He said that children must stay at home, use face masks, maintain social distancing, and regularly wash hands with soap to prevent the spread of the disease.
The Puducherry Health Department has also opened dedicated fever clinics in government clinics and PHCs across the territory. It has also ensured that doctors are present in all fever clinics and PHCs.
According to a study conducted by the Puducherry Health Department, after the decline in the number of Covid-19 cases, people throng markets and public places without masks and this has led to the spread of flu-like fever.
The authorities have directed patients infected with fever to wear face masks and to isolate themselves from other members of the family to prevent the spread.&nbsp;
—IANS

The Union Territory of Puducherry has suspended classes for students from standards 1 to 8 till September 25, after a hike in the number of influenza cases in the territory.

 Influenza cases on the rise: Classes 1-8 in Puducherry shut till Sep 25

Puducherry:&nbsp;Puducherry witnessed fall in number of fresh COVID-19 cases with 59 new infections, a senior Health Department official said here on Sunday. The union territory on Saturday reported 84 new cases. The overall caseload now stands at 1,71,628. Director of Health G Sriramulu in a release said the 59 cases surfaced during examination of 1,154 samples in the last 24 hours ending 10 AM today. Puducherry region alone accounted for 43 new infections out of the 59 cases followed by Karaikal (9) and Yanam (7), while Mahe an enclave of Puducherry in Kerala did not report any new cases. Sriramulu said the active cases were 701 which comprised nine patients in hospitals and the remaining 692 in home quarantine. He said 85 patients recovered during the last 24 hours while the overall recoveries were 1,68,960. Sriramulu said there was no fresh fatality during the last 24 hours and the death toll remained at 1,967. Department of Health has so far examined 23,58,056 samples and found 19,95,492 of them to be negative. The test positivity rate today was 5.11 per cent while the fatality and recovery rates were 1.15 per cent and 98.45 per cent, respectively. The Director said the Health Department has so far administered 18,96,917 doses which comprised 9,82,656 first doses, 7,74,140 second doses and 1,40,121 booster doses.—PTI

Puducherry witnessed fall in number of fresh COVID-19 cases with 59 new infections, a senior Health Department official said here on Sunday

Puducherry witnesses fall in fresh COVID-19 cases

Puducherry:&nbsp;Puducherry posted 146 new COVID-19 cases and the overall tally rose to 1,71,224, a senior official of the Department of Health said on Wednesday.Director of Health G Sriramulu in a bulletin said the 146 fresh cases surfaced after examination of 1,659 samples in the last 24 hours ending 10 AM today.He said Puducherry region alone accounted for 107 new cases out of the total 146 cases followed by Karaikal (34), Yanam (five) while Mahe an enclave in Kerala did not report any fresh case of infection.Sriramulu said the active cases were 772 of whom five patients were in hospitals and the remaining 767 in home quarantine.While 134 patients recovered during the last 24 hours, the overall recoveries in the union territory were 1,68,485.The Director said there was no fresh fatality during the last 24 hours and the death toll remained at 1,967.The Department of Health has so far examined 23,51,564 samples and has found 19,89,842 of them to be negative.The test positivity rate was 8.80 per cent while fatality and recovery rates were 1.15 per cent and 98.40 per cent respectively, the Director said.Sriramulu stated that the Department of Health has so far administered 18,59,030 doses which comprised 9,80,547 first doses, 7,66,461 second doses and 1,12,022 booster doses.—PTI

Puducherry posted 146 new COVID-19 cases and the overall tally rose to 1,71,224, a senior official of the Department of Health said on Wednesday

Puducherry logs 146 new COVID-19 cases

Puducherry: The Opposition DMK in Puducherry on Monday staged a protest against the alleged imposition of Hindi in the centrally-administered JIPMER, prompting Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to hold discussions with officials, before insisting there was no such imposition and that the regional language Tamil was being accorded due priority.DMK leaders led by the party convenor in the union territory and Leader of Opposition, R Siva, were arrested when they staged a protest against the recent circular of the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research directing use of Hindi in records and communication by the institute.Slogans 'condemning' the communication issued by the premier institute on the use of Hindi in circulars and records were raised by the protestors including some local youth. Siva alleged JIPMER was already denying job opportunities for the local youths and the present circular directing use of Hindi was another blow on the locals. ''The circular should be withdrawn unconditionally,'' he said, addressing the participants. Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader and member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, T Velmurugan, also opposed the move and dubbed it as ''brazen imposition of Hindi.'' Soundararajan, who visited JIPMER and held discussions with the Director Rakesh Aggarwal, said ''there is no imposition of Hindi in any manner in the institute and Tamil, the local language is given priority''.She told reporters that there were four circulars and a couple of them were being propagated as imposing Hindi.''There is a specific circular that Tamil should be given priority particularly in all communications relating to the patients and services to the people in the institute,'' she said.''There is no imposition of Hindi in any manner,'' she asserted.JIPMER was a prestigious institute and ''one should not interfere in its functioning by making allegations''. She said all internal matters relating to staff knowing only Hindi were having the option regarding the language.''There is no imposition of Hindi and patients approaching the institute were getting the benefit of communications in Tamil'', she added.''Let there be no politicisation as services of JIPMER should never suffer any interference. I assure that Tamil is given priority in JIPMER,'' she said.Tamil was being used in display boards on top of other languages. ''JIPMER is functioning without any discrimination and all protests were uncalled for'', she added—PTI

The Opposition DMK in Puducherry on Monday staged a protest against the alleged imposition of Hindi in the centrally-administered JIPMER, prompting Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to hold discussions with officials, before insisting there was no such imposition and that the regional language Tamil was being accorded due priority.

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Elephant "Lakshmi" from the Puducherry temple falls and dies on the highway

Pankaj Sharma

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