Tribune News Service
Nitin Jain
Ludhiana, August 11
Only 2.5 per cent of the total households have been left with a landline telephone connection while almost 97 per cent possess mobile phones in the district, a national survey has revealed.
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), conducted by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, has also indicated that almost seven percent families still use animal-drawn cart as means of transport in the district.
Of the total 2.5 percent of landline telephone connections, 3.9 percent were operational in the urban areas while 1.5 percent were left in the rural areas.
Similarly, 97.5 percent of urban households have mobile telephones while 96.1 percent of families in the rural areas also have mobile telephone connections.
In another depleting trend, only 2.5 per cent of the households, including 2.2 per cent in urban and 2.6 per cent in rural areas, were left with the black and white television while 5.2 per cent families, comprising 5.8 per cent in cities and 4.8 per cent in villages, still use radio or transistor for entertainment and news.
However, 89.9 percent of families, including 91.7 percent in urban and 88.7 percent in rural areas, have color television sets.
The current survey, fifth in the NFHS series, which provides information on population, health and nutrition for India and each state and Union Territory, with district-level estimates for many important indicators, a copy of which is with The Tribune, showed that 71.6 per cent households, including 70.7 per cent in urban and 72.1 per cent in rural areas, still use sewing machines in their homes.
On the technology front, only 17.7 per cent families, including 27.7 per cent in cities and 11.1 per cent in villages, have computers while 77.1 per cent, which included 82.5 per cent in urban and 73.6 per cent in rural areas, were equipped with internet connections.
When it comes to means of transport, 67.8 per cent households, including 60.6 per cent in cities and 72.4 per cent in villages, confessed to using bicycles, 75.6 per cent, comprising 74 per cent in urban and 76.6 per cent in rural areas, use motorcycles or scooters, 21.9 per cent, including 27 per cent in cities and 18.6 per cent in villages, possess cars, 6.7 per cent, comprising 1.4 per cent in urban and 10.2 per cent in rural areas, still use animal-drawn cart as means of transport while 9.3 per cent families, including 10.7 per cent residing in cities and 8.5 per cent living in villages, have no means of transport at all.