Dhanbad: The offline registration and vaccination for the 18 to 45 age group began in Dhanbad from Monday at 52 centres.

The special drive to vaccinate 10 thousand persons a day is being carried out across 11 centres of Dhanbad block, eight each of Jharia and Nirsa, seven of Baghmara, six each at Govindpur and Baliapur; four of Tundi and two of Topchanchi block.

Though, chaotic situation was witnessed at some of the centres due to large of number of prospective beneficiaries reaching the centres, the district health department has reserved 5 thousand vaccines for onsite registration while rest 5 thousand were meant for those who came through on-line booking.

District Reproductive and Child Health Officer of Dhanbad, Dr Vikash Rana said, “We began the onsite (offline) vaccination drive of 18 to 45 years of age group today in ditrict with a total target of vaccination of 10 thousand persons (five thousand each for online and offline vaccination) today and will be carrying out three thousand (1500 onsite and 1500 online) vaccinations tomorrow”.

“All the beneficiaries were provided Covishield today and tomorrow also we will be providing same vaccines,” said Rana.

“Those who took Covaxin on the first two days of launching of online vaccination drive of 18 to 45 years of age on May 14 and May 15 and were waiting for the second dose can also take the second dose on June 22, 23 by visiting such centre where they took the first dose,” further said Rana.

“It took less than one hour during the morning to complete the entire process and though there was bit chaotic situation outside the centre with large number of people reaching at the centre but overall the arrangement were good” said Saket Kumar (30), an interior designer of Babudih area who took the vaccine today through the onsite registration and vaccination process at Zila School Babudih Centre along with his wife Neha Gupta (28) said.

(Praduman Choubey)

Rare Himalayan flower blooms in Koderma

Brahma Kamal flower in Koderma on Monday. Picture by Vishvendu Jaipuriar

Hazaribagh: The rare Himalayan flower Brahma Kamal has bloomed at the house of a retired metals and minerals trading corporation of India surprising botanists and local residents at Koderma.

Resident of ward-23, Ramdayal Singh and his wife Asha Devi are the happiest to see the flowers which blooms at night. In Himalayas, they grow at an height of 4500m. It is also the state flower of Uttrakhand.

Sources said its a rare plant and not only famous for beautiful flowers but also for their significant importance in traditional medicine.

Asha said her husband was posted in Bangalore and saw the brahma kamal plant for the first time there in a rented house. After retirement, when he left the place, he brought a leaf of this plant in 2013 to his Telaiya home where they grew the plant giving the best care.

In 2017, the first flower bloomed which made them happier and feel lucky to have it.

Botany teacher at Vinoba Bhave University, Avinash Kumar termed this as a rare phenomena.

"I haven't heard about this flower in the state before. This flower blooms at an altitude but due to lockdown, pollution level came down with nature showing something wonderful in this way," he added.

Kumar said through such wonders, nature want to give message to take care of greenery and to save the earth from pollution.

The Brahma Kamal botanical name is Saussurea Obvallata

(Vishvendu Jaipuriar)