text:
A comparison of 12-gene colon cancer assay gene expression in African American and Caucasian patients with stage II colon cancer
Rangaswamy Govindarajan1,
James Posey2,
Calvin Y. Chao3,
Ruixiao Lu3,
Trafina Jadhav2,
Ahmed Y. Javed4,
Awais Javed4,
Fade A. Mahmoud1,
Raymond U. Osarogiagbon4 &
Upender Manne2
African American (AA) colon cancer patients have a worse prognosis than Caucasian (CA) colon cancer patients, however, reasons for this disparity are not well understood. To determine if tumor biology might contribute to differential prognosis, we measured recurrence risk and gene expression using the Oncotype DX® Colon Cancer Assay (12-gene assay) and compared the Recurrence Score results and gene expression profiles between AA patients and CA patients with stage II colon cancer.
We retrieved demographic, clinical, and archived tumor tissues from stage II colon cancer patients at four institutions. The 12-gene assay and mismatch repair (MMR) status were performed by Genomic Health (Redwood City, California). Student's t-test and the Wilcoxon rank sum test were used to compare Recurrence Score data and gene expression data from AA and CA patients (SAS Enterprise Guide 5.1).
Samples from 122 AA and 122 CA patients were analyzed. There were 118 women (63 AA, 55 CA) and 126 men (59 AA, 67 CA). Median age was 66 years for AA patients and 68 for CA patients. Age, gender, year of surgery, pathologic T-stage, tumor location, the number of lymph nodes examined, lymphovascular invasion, and MMR status were not significantly different between groups (p = 0.93). The mean Recurrence Score result for AA patients (27.9 ± 12.8) and CA patients (28.1 ± 11.8) was not significantly different and the proportions of patients with high Recurrence Score values (≥41) were similar between the groups (17/122 AA; 15/122 CA). None of the gene expression variables, either single genes or gene groups (cell cycle group, stromal group, BGN1, FAP, INHBA1, Ki67, MYBL2, cMYC and GADD45B), was significantly different between the racial groups. After controlling for clinical and pathologic covariates, the means and distributions of Recurrence Score results and gene expression profiles showed no statistically significant difference between patient groups.
The distribution of Recurrence Score results and gene expression data was similar in a cohort of AA and CA patients with stage II colon cancer and similar clinical characteristics, suggesting that tumor biology, as represented by the 12-gene assay, did not differ between patient groups.
Tumor biology as reflected in differential gene expression may contribute to differential outcomes for African-American patients as compared to Caucasian colon cancer patients.
A cohort of patients well balanced for clinical and demographic factors was selected for gene expression testing using the Oncotype DX colon cancer assay as a measure of tumor biology.
The distribution of Recurrence Score results for African-American patients (n = 122) was not significantly different than that of Caucasian patients (n = 122).
Expression of single genes or gene groups (cell cycle group, stromal group, BGN1, FAP, INHBA1, Ki67, MYBL2, cMYC and GADD45B) also did not differ significantly between ethnic groups.
Although differences in outcomes have been observed between AA and CA patients, this study found no difference in tumor biology as represented by the 12-gene assay when no differences in demographic or clinical factors were present.
Racial disparities in the outcomes of many cancers are a well-recognized phenomenon. Although the survival of patients with colorectal cancer has improved in recent years, disparity in outcomes between African American (AA) and Caucasian (CA) patients persists [1]. This may be due to a variety of factors, such as socioeconomic factors influencing access to good quality care, differences in screening participation, or tumor biology [2–5].
The Oncotype DX® Colon Cancer Assay (12-gene assay, Genomic Health, Inc., Redwood City, California) is a 12-gene RT-PCR based test that yields a Recurrence Score® result that has been clinically validated to predict the probability of recurrence following resection of stage II and stage III colon cancer [6–8]. The 12 genes measured consist of 7 cancer-related genes, which include 3 cell cycle genes (MK167, MYBL2, and MYC), 3 stromal genes (BGN, INHBA and FAP), and an early response gene (GADD45B), and 5 reference normalization genes. The Recurrence Score result (ranging from 0 to 100 with lower values representing lower risk of recurrence) is derived from RNA expression levels of these genes as determined by RT-PCR in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue using a quantitative algorithm. The assay has been shown to add significant information beyond conventional clinical and pathologic factors regarding the risk of recurrence and has been shown to be clinically valid in multiple studies [6–8].
The distribution of Recurrence Score® results and associated gene expression profiles based on race/ethnicity have not been previously assessed. We used the 12-gene assay as a measure of gene expression activity to evaluate possible biological differences between AA and CA patients with resected stage II colon cancer.
Patients with resected stage II colon cancer and with archived tumor tissue were identified from tumor registries at four institutions (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR; Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Little Rock, AR; University of Tennessee Cancer Institute, Memphis, TN; and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL). Institutional Review Board approval was obtained from the respective institutions. Demographic and clinical data, including pathologic stage, was obtained by manual chart review. Two hundred ninety three stage II colon cancer patients, matched for the year of diagnosis, age, and sex, were selected for the study. Race/ethnicity was self-reported. Patients with rectal cancer and those with synchronous tumors were excluded from the study. Paraffin blocks or unstained sections on slides were obtained for the selected patients. After verification of the diagnosis and stage by an independent pathologist, the 12-gene assay and mismatch repair status (MMR) by immunohistochemistry for MLH1 and MSH2 were performed on these samples at the Genomic Health laboratory.
Primary analysis
To address the primary objective of the study, the distributions of the Recurrence Score results for AA and CA patients were compared. Specifically, t-tests for two independent samples were used to determine if there were significant differences between the Recurrence Score results and the expression of individual genes in the two patient groups. If the normality assumption of the distributions of the Recurrence Score results was found to be invalid, a nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used. In addition, the Recurrence Score distributions by race were summarized using histograms and descriptive statistics, such as means, medians, standard deviations, and ranges. Similar analyses were carried out to compare the expression levels of gene groups and individual genes within the 12-gene assay between the two patient groups.
Secondary analyses
We compared the distribution of demographic and pathology variables between AA and CA patients using Chi-square tests for categorical variables and two-sided t-tests for continuous variables. We also compared the distributions of the Recurrence Score results, gene groups and individual genes between the two patient groups, controlling for demographic and pathologic characteristics. We used multiple linear regression models to evaluate the relationships of the continuous Recurrence Score value, gene groups, and individual genes to relevant demographic and pathologic covariates, including race, gender, age at surgery, number of nodes examined, pathologic T stage, MMR status, and lymphatic vascular invasion (LVI).
All tests of hypotheses were conducted at a two-sided alpha level of 0.05 unless otherwise noted. In this exploratory study, we have made no adjustments for multiple comparisons. All analyses were conducted with SAS 9.3 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC).
Stage II colon cancer patients (n = 293) were selected from tumor registries of four institutions (Fig. 1). Forty patients were excluded from analysis at pathology review (24 with insufficient or no invasive cancer, 5 with rectal cancer, 4 with no lymph node data, 2 with appendicular cancers and 5 for other reasons). Six patients were excluded due to laboratory failures (4 for insufficient RNA and 2 for poor quantitative PCR quality), and 3 patients were excluded due to missing MMR testing results. The remaining 244 samples (from 122 AA and 122 CA patients) were used in the analysis. The racial distribution of patients from each institution is listed in Fig. 1.
CONSORT diagram for the study. Study cohort of subjects selected for the study after exclusion of those who did not meet the selection criteria. The analysis was based on 244 samples (122 Caucasian patients and 122 African-American patients). IHC: immunohistochemistry; U Tennessee: University of Tennessee; UAB: University of Alabama Birmingham; UAMS: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; VA: Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System
In the cohort of 244 patients, there were 118 women (63 AA, 55 CA) and 126 men (59 AA, 67 CA) (Table 1). The median age at surgery was 66 years (range 35–88 years) for AA patients, and 68 years (range 40–97 years) for CA patients. Surgery was performed before the year 2000 in 31 % of AA and CA patients, from 2000 to 2009 in 40 % of AA and 49 % of CA patients, and from 2010 onwards in 29 % of AA and 20 % of CA patients. Table 1 shows the distribution of the demographic, clinical, and pathological characteristics of the patients eligible for analysis. Age, gender, year of surgery, pathologic stage, tumor location, number of nodes examined, LVI, and MMR status were not significantly different between the two racial groups as determined by Chi-square tests.
Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics
The mean Recurrence Score result was 27.9 ± 12.8 for the AA group and 28.0 ± 11.8 for the CA group and was not significantly different between groups (p = 0.93) (Fig. 2). The proportion of patients with a high Recurrence Score result (≥41) was similar between the groups: 17/122 (14 %) for AA patients and 15/122 (12 %) for CA patients (Fig. 3). None of the gene expression variables, either single genes or gene groups (Cell Cycle group, Stromal group, BGN, FAP, INHBA, Ki67, MYBL2, C-MYC, and GADD45B) was significantly different between the racial groups (p > 0.05 for all individual genes and gene groups) (Fig. 4).
The distribution of Recurrence Score results for African-American patients and Caucasian patients. The number of patients with a given Recurrence Score result is displayed on the vertical axis; the Recurrence Score values are displayed on the horizontal axis. The mean, SD, median, and range of the Recurrence Score result are inset in each graph. Panel a: display of the Recurrence Score results for AA patients (n = 122). Panel b: display of the Recurrence Score results for CA patients (n = 122). The mean Recurrence Score result for African-American patients (27.9 ± 12.8) was not statistically different from that of Caucasian patients (28.1 ± 11.8). The vertical line at 41 represents the cutoff for the high Recurrence Score risk group [6]. SD: standard deviation; AA: African-American; CA: Caucasian
Recurrence Score result display by high recurrence risk cut off. The Recurrence Score result for each patient is displayed as a circle by ethnicity group. The Recurrence Score results >41 are colored red. The proportion of patients with high Recurrence Score values (≥41) was similar between the patient groups (17/122 African-American patients; 15/122 Caucasian patients)
Distribution of the Gene Expression Levels for Gene Groups and Individual Genes. Gene expression variables, either single genes or gene groups, (Cell Cycle group, Stromal group, BGN, FAP, INHBA, Ki67, MYBL2, C-MYC, and GADD45B) were not significantly different between the racial groups
Linear regression modeling of Recurrence Score result, gene groups, and individual genes with the explanatory variables including race, clinical covariates, and pathological covariates (including number of nodes examined, pathologic T stage, tumor grade, MMR status and LVI status) revealed no statistically significant association with patient race (data not shown).
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women in the United States and has the third highest mortality rate in both genders [1]. Relative to CA patients, AA patients with colorectal cancer have a higher incidence, higher mortality, and worse stage-specific outcomes [1, 9]. The reasons for these disparities are not well understood. The recent improvement in survival of patients with colorectal cancer across all stages has not been seen equally in AA and CA patients: the overall mortality rate has steadily abated in the last three decades, but the decline is less pronounced among AA compared to CA populations [1, 4]. The mortality rate among AA populations with colorectal cancer at all stages is in dispute, with some studies showing worse rates among AA patients with all stages, including early stage disease [10, 11] while others show the trend only for those with advanced stage disease [4, 9].
The higher colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates among AA have been attributed to differences in socioeconomic status leading to lack of access to healthcare, although this has been disputed by others [2, 12]. Lack of access to healthcare, resulting in lower rates of screening and more advanced stage at presentation and consequently higher mortality, has been noted for the AA population [12, 13]. In Medicare beneficiaries, there is evidence for a difference in the treatment received for colon cancer [13]; for younger populations, there is also evidence of lower utilization of available treatment with chemotherapy and radiation among AAs [2, 14]. In contrast, studies of the Veterans Affairs Health Care Systems did not find a statistical difference in overall survival between AA and CA patients with colorectal carcinoma and suggested that uniform treatment of their patient population may be the reason for the lack of a difference in survival [15, 16]. Albain and colleagues reported that in prospective SWOG studies there was no difference in outcomes between AA and CA patients with respect to colon cancer, although AA patients with breast, prostate, or ovarian cancers had worse overall survival than CA patients; however, the small sample size and restriction of analysis to only those who were receiving adjuvant chemotherapy may have played a role in the differential results for colon cancer versus other tumor types [17].
Objective clinical factors have also been examined to identify underlying reasons for the racial disparity. A retrospective analysis of patients with colon cancer not receiving chemotherapy showed a higher mortality for AA subjects [10]. The difference in disease progression and worse mortality may be attributed to variations in tumor pathobiology in patients of different race and ethnicity [18, 19]. Several studies [5, 11], including a study conducted by University of Alabama, Birmingham investigators found that, although there was no difference in the distribution of tumor grade between AA and CA colon cancer patients, AAs with high-grade (poorly differentiated) tumors were at three times higher risk of dying of colorectal cancer as CA patients even after controlling for treatment and prognostic factors [20].
This is the first study to compare the 12-gene assay in colon cancer among AA and CA patients. This assay has been validated to predict the recurrence rate in patients with resected stage II colon cancer, whether treated with surgery alone or with surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. We compared the Recurrence Score results of AA and CA patients who otherwise showed no differences in demographic or clinical factors. Although the number of genes assessed by the Oncotype DX assay is limited in number, the genes are known to be involved in cancer biology, therefore, the assay represents a useful, although not comprehensive, probe into the biology of these tumors. Among both AA and CA patients, there was a similar distribution of Recurrence Score results and equal numbers of subjects in both groups had high Recurrence Score results ≥41. The year of diagnosis was matched for the two groups to balance for any inequality in the number of lymph nodes harvested due to the introduction of new standards [21]. We did not exclude patients with fewer than 12 nodes examined because the aim of the study was to evaluate the expression of the genes underlying the biology of colon tumors in AA and CA patients, and not to evaluate the risk of recurrence. None of the gene expression variables, either gene groups or single genes (cell cycle group, stromal group, BGN1, FAP, INHBA1, Ki67, MYBL2, cMYC, and GADD45B), was significantly different between the patient groups.
A limitation of this study is that the assessment of genes was limited to those represented by the 12-gene assay. Accordingly, we cannot rule out the possibility of other underlying differences in tumor biology and molecular profiles between AA and CA patients. Further, as we did not have access to long-term clinical outcomes for patients in this study, we were unable to assess whether similarities in gene expression profiles for AA and CA patients are associated with similar clinical outcomes. Finally, although the AA and CA cohorts were matched based on year of diagnosis, age, and sex, the retrospective nature of this study does not preclude other potential sources of selection bias.
The distribution of Recurrence Score results, gene expression levels of gene groups and individual genes were not significantly different between AA and CA patients; suggesting tumor biology, as measured by the 12-gene assay, did not differ between patient groups.
MMR:
Mismatch Repair
Formalin-fixed Paraffin Embedded
LVI:
Lymphatic Vascular Invasion
SWOG:
UAB:
UAMS:
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Acknowlegments
Editorial and writing support was provided by Eric R. Schuur, PhD.
RG contributed to the conception and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, manuscript drafting, revising, and approval for publishing; JP contributed to the conception and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, manuscript drafting, revising, and approval for publishing; CC contributed to the conception and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, manuscript drafting, revising, and approval for publishing; RL contributed to the data analysis and interpretation; manuscript drafting and revising; TJ contributed to the tissue procurement, data collection and manuscript approval for publishing; AYJ contributed to the data collection and manuscript approval; AJ contributed to the data collection and manuscript approval; FM contributed to the data collection and manuscript approval; RO contributed to the conception and design, data collection, analysis and interpretation, manuscript drafting, revising, and approval for publishing; and UM contributed to the conception and design, tissue procurement, data collection, analysis and interpretation, manuscript drafting, revising, and approval for publishing. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.
The data set used is stored in the clinical trials office at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the clinical trials office at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System where they can be accessed.
This study was supported by funds from Genomic Health, Inc.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham, Slot 508, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
Rangaswamy Govindarajan & Fade A. Mahmoud
University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL, USA
James Posey, Trafina Jadhav & Upender Manne
Genomic Health Inc., Redwood City, CA; Genomic Health, Inc., Redwood City, CA, USA
Calvin Y. Chao & Ruixiao Lu
Boston Baskin Cancer Foundation, Baptist Cancer Center, Memphis, TN, USA
Ahmed Y. Javed, Awais Javed & Raymond U. Osarogiagbon
Rangaswamy Govindarajan
James Posey
Calvin Y. Chao
Ruixiao Lu
Trafina Jadhav
Ahmed Y. Javed
Awais Javed
Fade A. Mahmoud
Raymond U. Osarogiagbon
Upender Manne
Correspondence to Rangaswamy Govindarajan or Upender Manne.
Calvin Chao and Ruixiao Lu report employment by Genomic Health, Inc. The other authors report no conflicts of interest.
This study was approved by the following Institutional Review Boards: University of Arkansas IRB committee; Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System IRB and R&D (Research and Development); the Institutional Review Board of the University of Tennessee and the Baptist Memorial Healthcare Corporation, Memphis, TN; and the Institutional Review Board of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In accordance with the approvals, informed consent from the patients was not required.
Govindarajan, R., Posey, J., Chao, C.Y. et al. A comparison of 12-gene colon cancer assay gene expression in African American and Caucasian patients with stage II colon cancer. BMC Cancer 16, 368 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-016-2365-3
12-gene assay
Stage II


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Who wants to go to Acton?
It may be that some of the people who read my blog do not read all of the London-based cycling blogs, in which case, you may have missed a debate that took place on the ibikelondon blogspot (here).
The blog's author, Mark Ames, had written that the two new Superhighways "will certainly lead to a large increase in the volume of cyclists along these routes". I replied as follows:
Evidence from the States indicates things are not nearly as black-and-white as you suggest. The likelihood is that there would indeed be more cycling along the new routes, but that about three-quarters of the "new" users would already have been using their bikes for that trip.
"We're seeing people who already bike shifting the routes they're taking," study co-author Jennifer Dill said in an interview. "We're seeing a small amount of new cycling."
According to an LCC report: "Isolated cycle paths are almost useless if they're not connected, making a network from the beginning."
The bottom line is that protected cycle lanes can't rapidly boost bike ridership without a network. David Hembrow said as much in his interview with Jack Thurston:
"Another problem with what's happened with the Go Dutch campaigning has been people celebrating [...] the idea of having a single high-quality route. This is something which the Dutch found in the 1970s had almost no influence at all on people's cycling patterns. You actually need a dense grid of high quality routes so that people can make their journeys from A to B without any problems along the way. If you have a single route, it works only if A and B are on that route. Otherwise the majority of people in the city where the new route is are completely unaffected by it."
This brings me on to another point, as expressed recently by lludovic on the LCC website:
"Who wants to go to Acton? Not me, certainly. Has any traffic survey been undertaken? What about Hyde Park to Hammersmith and then onwards to Putney and Richmond? Those boroughs have the highest proportions of cycle ownership..."
The case is, these routes are going, not where they are most needed, but where they can be installed without causing too much inconvenience. The Mayor's press release practically says as much:
"The routes have fewer of the usual features which can make installing segregated cycle lanes difficult. They have also seen a reduction of around a quarter in motor traffic in the last ten years. Only a small fraction of the east-west route is on roads served by TfL daytime buses, for instance, and there is little residential parking along most of the routes."
Mark's response was nothing if forthright. "I fundamentally disagree that these routes are not going where they can be useful," he said.
He continued: "I don't know who Lludovic on the LCC website is, but it does not seem sensible to base your position on the comment of just one person."
I don't yet know how far west the A40 route is planned to go, but I do know that, as things currently stand, it is not planned to go sufficiently far east.
View larger map here
During another (but related) discussion, I suggested that, in order for a route to be useful, it must be meaningful (i.e. go to the places that people want to go to), direct, pleasant (where possible) and joined up with other routes. One of the first things to be said about the Westway elevated section (shown in light blue above) is that it doesn't properly meet a single one of these criteria.
The elevated section is very nearly 2 miles, and along this length, at least five good cycle routes pass beneath it. In practical terms, what this means is that for most of the people who live in the area defined by the red border (see map below), this new cycle route is going to have extremely limited value, despite the fact that it passes directly through the middle of their neighbourhood. This is because, as far as these people would be concerned, the new route would not be accessible and / or alternative routes would be more accessible, more pleasant, more direct, etc).
Over on ibikelondon, the blog's author stated: "If it is a difference between getting it built out to Acton and not getting it built at all, I know which I would choose."
An anonymous commentator added: "There are plenty of people in Acton wanting to go to central London. Acton is a very populous area, with no good cycling routes to central London [...]. The Westway to Acton branch (which is already delayed, apparently) will have a big catchment area, with Quietways linking it to other neighbourhoods, like Shepherd's Bush and Paddington (so I was told at one of the consultation exhibitions)."
Yes, it links to other neighbourhoods, notably White City and Paddington, but look again! nowhere in between!
Paul M suggested that the superhighways proposals are "vital" for two reasons. "Firstly," said he, "I am confident that they will prove that taking a small amount of road space from motor traffic does not mean world's end and in no time at all the result will actually be an improvement on what went before, for motorists too. Secondly, I see this proposal as the canary of cycle infrastructure planning in this country. If it dies, it is telling us that the atmosphere for cycling in the UK is irretrievably toxic.
The slipway road from the Westway to Paddington
In the first instance, as I said in my comment on ibikelondon, these routes are going, not where they are most needed, but where they can be installed without causing too much inconvenience. Developing routes which have "fewer of the usual features which can make installing segregated cycle lanes difficult" does not automatically mean that a worthwhile precedent has been set.
In any case, I believe that the most important thing to be proved from these Superhighways is not whether they will add to or take away from the traffic chaos, but rather, whether they will encourage more people to cycle. In this event, the real risk with the Westway link is encapsulated in this statement from Ricardo Marques Sillero of Seville (as reported by the LCC):
"Sometimes politicians want to check first if the idea works, for instance, by making one or two isolated bike paths before making a stronger decision. But isolated cycle paths are almost useless if they're not connected, making a network from the beginning. Therefore people don't use them and the politician becomes disappointed."
As to Paul M's second point, if this proposal dies, I don't accept that this means "the atmosphere for cycling in the UK is irretrievably toxic". The constant factors of a thoroughly-understood cycling policy are threefold: network, training / education, and publicity / promotion. If this proposal dies, I hope it means something better will come along in its place.
Better, to my mind, would be to build on the positives, and not to keep banging on about the one big negative. People don't need reminding that cycling is dangerous. But they do need reminding about some other things, however.
The fact is that these high-profile schemes are not without controversy, and that they take time to deliver. It may also be fairly added that they are not much use without good connections. These things being so, why is it that planning, studying and then introducing a comprehensive, city-wide cycle network to the point where it functions, why is that not "on the table"?
"The network you refer to already exists," Mark Ames from ibikelondon said. "We just need to be able to get cyclists in [...] London to access it."
What does this entail?
According to a European Parliament document: "Mobility encompasses not only the activity of travel, but also, more importantly, the possibility for the traveller to decide when and where to travel, by being aware of, and being able to make use of, an information set for optimising the journey."
Good waymarking and mapping is definitely part of the solution, therefore.
"Existing cycle highways have seen increases in ridership of 30 to 40%," Mark pointed out, "and that is just with blue paint."
Replicate that across an entire city, and by jingo! you'll have a cycling revolution worth its name.
"Every network has to start somewhere," Tim said.
Yes, but what is the evidence or the rationale which says that developing a couple of high-profile routes is the place to begin? Please can you quote someone.
"Cycle routes are needed EVERYWHERE," the leisurist added.
That's my point.
"I really don't think that a one third increase is such a bad outcome," Paul M suggested.
In closing, I would like to say that I applaud the ambition that is attached to these schemes. I think the section along Thames Street and The Embankment is superb. But generally speaking, these schemes fall short because they are not connected to a wider network.
Mark agrees that hundreds of smaller interventions are needed and useful. Mark agrees that it is not an "and / or" situation. Mark agrees that we need both.
However, Mark says that only one is more likely to happen than the other. I have to ask why that is, why "the table" is relatively so bare.
According to Cycling: the way ahead, the measures needed to get a network to function may be adopted automatically, "without major risk of error or loss". If the people who wrote this are telling the truth, why do we not believe them?
Posted by bikemapper at 16:29
Cycle Superhighways
bikemapper
Doing it quicker
In a recent article published in The Guardian , Andrew Gilligan wrote: "What, I've asked many cycle activists, what is it you want ...
Bristol's Strategic Cycling Network
Earlier this year, Bristol consulted on its Draft Cycle Strategy [pdf]. It is a wonderfully clear-headed and succinct document, and I very ...
Quietways
This blog offers a critique of the Quietways programme. Q6, which passes through the site of the 2012 Olympics, will not form a part of this...
Making easy things difficult
On page 57 of Cycling: the way ahead , in the chapter which explains everything you need to know about how to start developing an amenable ...
Westminster's major road network
Each year, the Department for Transport calculates the total volume of traffic (for each junction-to-junction link) on the major road networ...
'Cycling networks' don't work here
In 1973, the first mobile phone was launched onto the market. It weighed 1.1kg, and measured 23cm x 4.5cm x 13cm. Talk time was just 30 mi...
But then again, you do have to start somewhere
A little while back, Jack Thurston spoke to David Hembrow , "a cult figure in British cycling", for an extended interview broadca...
A closer look at Cobden Junction
Further to my earlier blog , I have come to the very firm conclusion that it is not possible to consider the redevelopment of Cobden Junctio...
In our profession
"In our profession, a plan that everyone dislikes for different reasons is a success. A plan everyone dislikes for the same reason is...
Saint George and the Elephant
On the day that work began on the new North-South Cycle Superhighway, Andrew Gilligan was asked to explain the aim of the project. He said: ...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


As the recession worsens, more and more Americans must turn to welfare to make ends meet. Once inside the agency, the newly jobless will face a bureaucracy that has undergone massive change since the advent of welfare reform in 1996. A behind-the-scenes look at bureaucracy's human face, The New Welfare Bureaucrats is a compelling study of welfare officers and how they navigate the increasingly tangled political and emotional terrain of their jobs.
Celeste Watkins-Hayes here reveals how welfare reform engendered a shift in focus for caseworkers from simply providing monetary aid to the much more complex process of helping recipients find work. Now both more intimately involved in their clients' lives and wielding greater power over their well-being, welfare officers' racial, class, and professional identities have become increasingly important factors in their work. Based on the author's extensive fieldwork in two very different communities in the northeast, The New Welfare Bureaucrats is a boon to anyone looking to understand the impact of the institutional and policy changes wrought by welfare reform as well as the subtle social dynamics that shape the way welfare is meted out at the individual level.
Introduction: Do Street-Level Bureaucracies Matter in a Post-Welfare Era?
"Through participant observation, interviews, and archival research, Watkins-Hayes insightfully illustrates the complex ways in which social locations influence the professional identities of welfare caseworkers and how these identities, situated in an organizational, institutional, social, political, and economic context, shape caseworker discretion in service delivery to welfare clients. . . . Overall, the book is well written and engaging. Valuable reading for graduate students, academics, and policy makers interested in creating organizational change."


Battlerite is getting in on the Lunar New Year action with the "Legends of Quna" event. The event, which is already underway, runs until March 14th. During this time, players can get their hands on all kinds of special skins, chests and other rewards.
Included in the new skins are legendaries for Raigon, Sirius, Alysia, Ruh Kaan, Destiny, and Lucie. There's also some pretty sweet looking mounts — as you can see in the video below. On the more mundane end of rewards, players will be able to earn Double Account Experience that they can use to pick up more event-exclusive chests. For more information on the event, as well as the accompanying update, hit up the patch notes on the game's site.


Showing: 320581 to 320610 of 541816 .
Enjoy a casual outdoor lunch in a park or camp ground with the Seagrass Picnic Basket Set from Northlight. Offering dinnerware service for two, this hand-woven piece includes an insulated bag and leatherette carry handle for effortless travel.
The Northlight Feather Cone Tree makes a stunning display with beautiful brown and grey feathers. The striking holiday tree is lightly dusted with glitter, adding an elegant touch to your seasonal décor.
The Northlight Lighted Easter Egg Window Silhouette provides a creative way to decorate your home and show your Easter holiday spirit by day and by night. Hang it on a window and enjoy the purple, green, and pink bulbs casting a cozy cheerful glow.
The 15.75" Chicken Figurine by Northlight will surely add a touch of whimsical character to your decor. This speckled, sprightly springtime accent features incredible craftsmanship, giving country-style flair to centerpiece or mantle displays.
These Northlight 150 Count 2.5-Inch Decorative Easter Eggs are fun for using to decorate your home for Easter. Petite sized plastic eggs measure 1.5" x 2.5" and come in a variety of orange, yellow, purple, green, blue, and pink colors.
The Northlight 16-Inch Angel Wrapped in Wings Statue makes a beautiful accent piece or memorial sentiment. Crafted of poly-resin it features an angel child wrapped in her beautiful wings with a grey finish and doubles as a birdbath.
The Northlight Boy Sitting on Ball Figure brings adorable Spring flair into any indoor or outdoor space. Crafted of cement this happy boy is dressed in a gray overalls with a baby blue T-shirt sitting on a gray ball.
The Northlight Girl Sitting on Ball Figure brings adorable Spring flair into any indoor or outdoor space. Crafted of cement this happy girl is dressed in a gray dress with an off-white undershirt sitting on a gray ball.
The Northlight Reindeer Wearing Frosted Wreath Christmas Decoration adds a touch of adorable holiday cheer to your décor. A wreath of pine sprigs with red berries sits around the neck of a natural fiber reindeer with rustic pinecone back.
Featuring a tranquil swirled pattern, the elegant Northlight Swirled Glass Taper Holder is ideal for formal occasions. Crafted of transparent glass, it features a circular flat base and holds 1 taper candle.
Create a classic Christmas tradition with the Northlight Christmas Express Train Set circling the tree. This adorable, battery-operated design features realistic train sounds and a working headlight to delight children of all ages.
Get your home ready for Easter this year with the pleasing color and whimsical touch of the Northlight Flower & Bunny Set. Set includes a lively assortment of Easter egg bunny ornaments, a bunny figure with a picket fence, and decorative pegs.
A wonderful addition to holiday décor, the Snowman in Lantern LED Musical Snow Globe from Northlight brings in the joy of the season with each snowy shake. This festive piece plays various classic Christmas tunes and illuminates with LED lights.
Decorate your patio or garden space with the Angel Bird Feeder Statue from Northlight. Using her robe as the basin, this polyresin statue features an adorable angel welcoming birds to stop by for a nibble. Brightens up any indoor or outdoor area.
The Northlight Boy Figure with Lamb and Lantern brings adorable Spring flair into any indoor or outdoor space. Crafted of cement this happy boy is holding a white lantern that can store a tea light candle and has an adorable lamb at his feet.
Add festive cheer to your decorations this holiday season with the 50-Light LED Mini Christmas Lights from Northlight. Each of the shining lights are cool to the touch and feature durable non-glass bulbs.
Showing: 320581 to 320610 of 541816 products.


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How One Family Helped Change the Way We Eat Ham
The Harris family struck gold when they introduced the ice house to England in 1856, but what were the costs of their innovation?
Rachel Nuwer
A ginger sow and her piglets at the Ginger Pig's Yorkshire farm. The Ginger Pig
When we think about pigs today, most of us likely imagine the Wilbur or Babe-type variety: pink and more or less hairless. Mention pig farming and images of hundreds upon hundreds of animals crammed into indoor cages may come to mind, too. But it wasn't always like this. Prior to the industrial revolution, pigs came in an astounding variety of shapes, sizes, colors and personalities. And the ham made from their cured meat was just as diverse.
"The tale of ham's innovation began around 200 years ago, and it paved the way for how ham is produced today," said Nicola Swift, the creative food director of the Ginger Pig, a company of butchers and farmers that specializes in rare breeds of livestock reared in England's North York Moors. Swift presented a talk on the history of ham at the BACON conference in London last weekend, which sadly was not devoted to bacon but to "things developers love."
One family in particular, the Harrises, almost single-handily changed the way England turned pigs into ham, she explained, and in doing so, they inadvertently laid the foundations for large-scale, homogenized pig farming.
Mary and John Harris were pig folk. Their family hailed from Calne, a quiet town in Southwest England. In the early and mid-1800s, they played a small but important role in providing London with pork. At the time, much of London's pork arrived by way of Ireland. But without refrigeration, transporting large amounts of meat was impossible. Instead, pig handlers would literally walk the animals to the Irish coast, corral them onto boats destined for Bristol, and then continue to trek to London by foot.
But a deliciously fat pig forced to trot more than 100 miles would soon turn into a lean, tough mass of muscle. To make sure the ham, chops and bacon that those animals were destined to become remained fatty, tender and flavorful, pig herders would make pit stops along the way to give the animals a rest and fatten them up. The Harris farm was one such destination. The family also supplied Calne with meat from their small shop on Butcher's Row, founded in 1770.
The Harrises were by no means well off. If they butchered 6 or 8 pigs in a week they wrote it off as a success. Still, they got by all right. That is, until tragedy struck. In 1837, John Harris, the relatively young head of the household, died suddenly, leaving his wife, Mary, to manage the business and look after the couple's 12 children. A few years later, just as the family was getting back on its feet, hard times fell upon them once again. It was 1847, and the Irish potato famine arrived.
In Ireland, potatoes fed not only people but their pigs, too. As season after season of potato crops failed, the Irish could not feed themselves, much less their animals. The supply of pork to the Harris' farm and butcher shop stopped arriving. In desperation, Mary and her son, George, hatched a scheme to send George to America by ship. The idea, they decided, was for George to strike up a pig business deal with American farmers and figure out a way to transport their slaughtered animals across the Atlantic in boxes packed with salt to ward off spoilage during the long journey. On its way to England, that meat would cure into ham and George's entrepreneurial venture would save the family.
Not surprisingly, George failed in his mission. But while in the States, he did learn of a remarkable new practice the Americans were pursuing called ice houses. In the U.S., this method allowed farmers to slaughter pigs not only in months ending in an 'r' (or those cold enough for the meat not to rot before it could be cured and preserved), but during any time of year – even in steamy July or August. Curing, or the process of preventing decomposition-causing bacteria from setting in by packing the meat in salt, was then the only way to preserve pork for periods of time longer than 36 hours. Such horrendously salty meat was eaten out of necessity rather than enjoyment, however, and it often required sitting in a bucket of water for days at time before it could be rinsed of its saltiness to the point that it would even be palatable. "This all harks back to the day when people had to preserve something when they had lots of it because there were other times when they didn't have much," Swift said. "This type of preserving goes back hundreds and hundreds of years."
Ice houses, specially constructed sheds with packed ice blocks either collected locally or imported from Norway, offered partial relief from that practice, however. Charcoal acted as an insulator, preventing the ice from melting quickly and trapping the cool air within the small room.
When George returned home, curly tail between legs, he immediately got busy earning back his family's trust by experimenting with ice house design. By 1856, he had succeeded in constructing what was likely the first ice house in England. The ham that resulted from slaughtering pigs in that cool confine was more tender and tasty since it didn't have to be aggressively cured with large amounts of salt. Eventually, the Harrises shifted to brining techniques, or curing in liquid, which led to the creation of the massively popular Wiltshire ham.
The family patented George's creation, and it soon began spreading to other farmers and ham producers who licensed the technology around the country. The Harris' wealth increased so quickly and so dramatically that they partly financed the construction of a branch of the Great Western Railway to their village in 1863. Several decades after that, they helped bring electricity to Calne.
When breeders cross a ginger pig with a black pig, the results are a delightful black-spotted ginger piglet. The Ginger Pig
While the Harris' tale is one of personal triumph, their mark on England's ham production did not come without cultural costs. Prior to the ice house, each region in the UK and Ireland enjoyed their own specific breed of pig. In Lincolnshire, for example, Lincolnshire ham originated from the Lincolnshire curly coat, an enormous beast of a pig that was around twice the size of the animals typically bred today. It's long, thick curly white coat kept the hardy animal warm throughout the damp winters, and its high fat content provided plenty of energy for the farm laborers that relied upon its exceptionally salty ham for sustenance. After a long decline, that breed finally went extinct in the 1970s thanks to industrialized farming.
Other regions once boasted their own breeds and unique ham brews. In Shropshire, people made "black ham," which they cured along with molasses, beer and spices. This created an exceptional mix of salty sweetness, with a tinge of sourness from the beer. In Yorkshire, a breed called the large white – which is still around today – inspired a method of steaming cured ham in order to more efficiently remove the salt, while in Gloucestershire people preferred to add apples to their ham cures. But after the Harris' ham empire took off, a massive advertising campaign that followed painted a picture of what ham and bacon should look and taste like, largely removing these traditions from kitchens around the country. "Most of the regional variances are sadly not known any more except to ham geeks," Swift said.
In addition to stamping out ham variety, the Harris' factory – which soon employed hundreds of staff and processed thousands of pigs each week – and others like it began favoring homogenized mass-production methods of indoor pig rearing. Older residents in Calne recall the factory's unmistakable reek in the 1930s. Eventually, public protests caused its closure and demolition in the 1960s, but for local pigs and ham, the damage was already done. Between 1900 to 1973, 26 of the unique regional breeds of pigs and other livestock went extinct, with others surviving only in very small numbers.
To try and preserve pig and other livestock heritage, concerned citizens formed the non-profit Rare Breeds Survival Trust in 1973, which maintains a sort of endangered species list and conservation group for farm animals on the fringe. In addition, farms such as Swift's Ginger Pig specialize in breeding and reintroducing some of these lines into restaurants and local butcher shops in London and beyond, and in introducing traditional curing techniques through their upcoming book, the Farmhouse Cook Book. "Innovation is awesome and brilliant, but there's also a dark side," Swift said. "That's the history of ham."
Rachel Nuwer | | READ MORE
Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science writer based in Brooklyn.
Cooking Ethics History Recipes


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Annalise Maughan, James Neilson Win 2019 Chemistry of Materials Lectureship and Best Paper Award
Marcus Anderson 4 years ago
Chemistry of Materials and the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry are proud to announce Annalise Maughan (graduate student and first author, now a post-doc at NREL) and James Neilson (assistant professor and corresponding author) as the winners of the 2019 Chemistry of Materials Lectureship and Best Paper Award. The award honors not only their highly creative and insightful work but also the contributions of all the members of a strong interdisciplinary international collaboration.
The winning paper, "Anharmonicity and Octahedral Tilting in Hybrid Vacancy-Ordered Double Perovskites," examines tin halide-based perovskites with varied cations, and connects the influence of these cations on conductivity and transport in these vacancy-ordered double perovskites. The paper also details the discovery of two new hybrid materials and illustrates the atomistic origin and impact of anharmonic lattice dynamics on the charge transport properties of hybrid perovskite halide semiconductors.
"This work extremely thorough study of these materials, starting with the synthesis of new compounds, accompanied by detailed X-ray diffraction and DFT calculations. "The strength of this work lies in the fundamental insights and generalizations that reveal just how remarkable the electronic properties of these perovskite materials are."
All About the Team
The Chemistry of Materials Lectureship and Best Paper Award recognizes not only cutting edge, high-quality science, but also the critical team aspect of research, and celebrates the importance of all co-authors and their contributions.
"Anharmonicity and Octahedral Tilting in Hybrid Vacancy-Ordered Double Perovskites" is the result of collaboration between the Neilson Group (Colorado State University) and the Scanlon Group (University College London). This fruitful collaborative effort has resulted in four published papers, including this winning one, in Chemistry of Materials and the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Maughan and Neilson will represent the entire team when they present their research at a half-day symposium and award ceremony this August during the 2019 Fall ACS National Meeting in San Diego, CA. Congratulations, once again, to Annalise Maughan, James Neilson, Alex Ganose, Andrew Candia, Juliette Granger, and David Scanlon!
Read three other papers arising from the collaboration between the Neilsen and Scanlon groups:
Perspectives and Design Principles of Vacancy-Ordered Double Perovskite Halide Semiconductors
Chem. Mater., 2019, 31 (4), pp 1184–1195
Tolerance Factor and Cooperative Tilting Effects in Vacancy-Ordered Double Perovskite Halides
Chem. Mater., 2018, 30 (11), pp 3909–3919
Defect Tolerance to Intolerance in the Vacancy-Ordered Double Perovskite Semiconductors Cs2SnI6 and Cs2TeI6
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2016, 138 (27), pp 8453–8464
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b03207
Chemistry of Materials Research Highlights Researcher


With summer right around the corner, now is the perfect time to start planning a fabulous vacation to Belize. Located in the heart of Belize's western Cayo District, San Ignacio is the eco-tourism capital of the country. Surrounded by verdant hills, broadleaf forests, and cascading waterfalls, San Ignacio has plenty to offer for every traveler.
Rated by National Geographic as the number one Sacred Cave in the world, Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM for short) Cave was once used by ancient Maya priests to appease their angry gods with human sacrifices. Just a 45-minute drive from San Ignacio, the deep labyrinth of ATM cave contains the bones of more than a dozen sacrificial victims, including young children.
One of the best introductions to the world of the ancient Maya is by visiting this site just a few minutes' walk from San Ignacio. Visitors can explore an ancient Maya city in miniature, including homes, temples, and palaces built for a select group of royals and nobles.
Combining the tranquil pleasures of floating down a river on an innertube with the majestic beauty of underground caverns, "cave tubing" is a unique experience in Belize. Participants can sail for several miles through this enormous cave, observing ceramics, artifacts, and even human skulls left behind by the ancient Maya.
The impressive ruins of this massive ancient Maya city-state lie deep in the jungle today, but in the long centuries before the arrival of Europeans, Xunantunich vied with cities like Tikal for dominance of the Maya world. Xunantunich is home to El Castillo (The Castle), a huge pyramid that, at 40 meters (130 feet) tall, is still the second-tallest building in the country.
One of the best ways to take in local color is by visiting the lively San Ignacio farmer's market. Locals from all over the region set up shop in the market to sell fresh fruit, vegetables, preserve, dairy products, and to swap gossip or browse through an eclectic collection of handicrafts, artwork, clothing, and traditional medicinal compounds made from indigenous herbs and plants.
Measuring up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) long and weighing up to 5 kilograms (11 pounds), green iguanas are indigenous to Belize. The best place to see them is at the Green Iguana exhibit at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel, part of a 14-acre nature reserve home to more than 150 species of birds.
There's many more great options for visitors to San Ignacio, including making the short journey across the border into Guatemala to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tikal, enjoying a picnic at the waterfalls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, bird watching, exploring St. Herman's Cave, and swimming in the Inland Blue Hole. Whether you're coming for a relaxing holiday or want to explore the most beautiful nature destinations in Belize, summer is a great time to visit!
Visiting Belize this summer? Contact Go Maya Belize Adventures for information on where to stay and things to see and do.
Go-Maya Belize Adventures is a professional Destination Management Company & Tour Operator. We are dedicated to helping you plan your Belize Vacation with the most successful and memorable outcome. Our dependable transfers will get you to your lodging destination in a timely & safe manner. Our team of professional guides will take you on the adventure of a lifetime either inland or offshore. With our carefully selected list of hotels/ lodges/ resorts, we can help you choose the best accommodation for your need & budget.


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Xherdan Shaqiri winds back the clock in commanding Switzerland display
Posted on 29th Mar 2021 31st Mar 2021 by Nischal Schwager-Patel
Few Swiss players of the modern era are as talented as Xherdan Shaqiri.
Since his Switzerland debut in 2010, the winger has been one of the Schweizer Nati's star players, first under Ottmar Hitzfeld and now Vladimir Petković.
But since his 2018 World Cup heroics, Shaqiri has failed to find himself in the same limelight. Whether it is his sporadic gametime at Liverpool – who he joined before the conclusion of the tournament – or his unfortunate injury record, Shaqiri has not been the same in recent years.
So, when the 29-year-old was included in the first Nati squad of 2021, he would have seen it as turning a fresh page in his international career.
(Photo by Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Having played a starring role in the 3-1 win over Bulgaria midweek, Shaqiri was keen to get off to a quick start against Lithuania on Sunday – even amid the slow start in St. Gallen inflicted by a dodgy goalpost.
If Shaqiri was aiming to be quick out of the blocks, he certainly seized the gold medal.
Inside 88 seconds, Breel Embolo threaded it through to Shaqiri, who instinctively turned and fired it into the bottom corner without hesitation. The quickest Nati goal in 14 years, a goal made in Basel and a first for Shaqiri since the 6-0 thumping of Iceland in September 2018, coincidentally in St. Gallen too – must be something about the kybunpark.
The fact that it was his first goal in two and-a-half years tells the story alone. Shaqiri has struggled so much on the pitch since the World Cup, making it an even sweeter moment.
As the game progressed, we saw more glimpses of the vintage Shaqiri.
Confident on the ball, creating dozens of chances and battling the Lithuanian defence without a care in the world. This was the man feared to have been lost in the Anfield abyss, but all it showed was that he is still there – just hidden away until unleashed.
It was a man of the match performance from the eventual matchwinner, whose numbers spoke for themselves. Alongside his decisive goal, Shaqiri had 74 touches and three key passes, finding himself spread across the pitch in an influential display.
The only criticism is not adding the finishing touches to the result, though that is a team issue rather than an individual one. It was a superb performance from Shaqiri, drawing parallels to the fresh-faced teenager Switzerland came to know and love all those years ago.
(Sven Thomann/Blick)
Shaqiri's role in Petković's current system is perfect. He has the license to roam forward as the number 10, but the new back three makes one key distinction: freedom.
Shaqiri has the space across the final third to dictate the attack, now that the usually present wingers have made way for wider wing-backs. He is the ultimate focal point in behind the strike pairing of Haris Seferović and Breel Embolo, giving him more options and more freedom to express himself as he did in his Basel days.
Having not played a single minute in Switzerland's successful EURO 2020 qualifying campaign, Shaqiri now has a goal and two assists in two appearances in World Cup qualifying, a welcome return to the national team setup after so long in the pitiful shadows.
The winger's impact on the Nati is no secret, but above all, it is a joy to see him enjoying his football again. It was natural to fear whether he even had a future in the Nati setup, approaching his 30th birthday and with exciting, young prospects rising through the ranks – namely Noah Okafor and Ruben Vargas, the latter producing a splendid display on Sunday.
(Keystone)
Yet, quite simply, no-one can come close to Shaqiri.
He has that special enigma, where Switzerland are a dissimilar team in his absence. Even when he has scored just once this season for Liverpool, featuring in 43% of their games, he is still the key player to turn to when Petković and the country are in need. There is a reason he is adored back home, hailed as the poster boy of Swiss football for over a decade.
Shaqiri's spot in the EURO 2020 squad was at peril, but after his impact in the latest qualifiers, he has one foot on the plane. Now it is a case of ending the season strong, staying fit and getting as much gametime as possible, remaining in Petković's considerations in these crucial months of the campaign.
A fitting return to life with the Nati, and proof that Shaqiri is far from finished.
Switzerland back to their best in ruthless Bulgaria victory
With three months to go, can Switzerland compete at EURO 2020?
Tags: 2022 World Cup Qualifiers, Switzerland National Team, Switzerland vs Lithuania, Xherdan ShaqiriCategories: 2022 World Cup Qualifiers, Football, Match reports, Swiss Football, Switzerland National Team
PreviousTwo months of Thomas Tuchel
NextBastien Toma: Is the youngster ready for the senior Switzerland squad?


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Cravatex Ltd. (CRAVATEX) - Director Report
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Company director report
BOARD'S REPORT
To The Members of Cravatex Limited
Your Directors present the audited Financial Statements of the Company including audited Balance Sheet and the Statement of Profit and Loss together with their Report for the year ended March 31 2019.
Current Year Previous Year
Rupees in Lacs Rupees in Lacs
Earnings before Finance Cost Depreciation and Taxation 479.72 230.51
Less : Finance Cost 101.59 103.80
Less : Depreciation 82.92 94.75
Profit (Loss) before Exceptional Item 295.21 31.97
Exceptional Item - -
Profit (Loss) before Tax 295.21 31.97
Current Tax (69.50) -
Deferred Tax Asset / (Liability) 11.31 8.06
Excess Tax Provision for Earlier years (10.58) 2.15
Profit (Loss) after Taxation 226.44 42.18
Other Comprehensive Income / (Loss) (1.97) 25.49
Total Comprehensive Income / (Loss) 224.47 67.67
STATEMENT OF COMPANY AFFAIRS
The total revenue from operations of the Company for the year under review was Rs.103.95 lacs as against ? 74.08 lacs in previous year while the profit before finance cost depreciation and taxation stood at Rs.479.72 lacs as against Rs.230.51 lacs for the previous year. Profit after tax for the year was Rs.226.44 lacs as against ? 42.18 lacs for the previous year. The total comprehensive income for the year was Rs.224.47 lacs as against ? 67.67 lacs for the previous year.
The Directors are pleased to recommend dividend of Rs.0.40 (4%) per share of Rs.10/- each on 9000000 Non-Convertible Cumulative Redeemable Preference Shares for the financial year ended 2018-19 which would be tax-free in the hands of the Members. The total outflow on dividend account will be ? 43.04 lakhs (excluding Dividend Distribution Tax).
The Directors are also pleased to recommend dividend of Rs.2/- (20%) per equity share of Rs.10/- each for the financial year 2018-19 which would be tax-free in the hands of the Members. The total outflow on dividend account will be 51.68 lakhs (excluding Dividend Distribution Tax).
EQUITY SHARE CAPITAL
The total issued subscribed and fully paid up equity share capital of the Company as on March 31 2019 was Rs.25841600/- divided into 2584160 equity shares of ? 10/- each (listed on BSE).
PREFERENCE SHARES
The unlisted 4% Non-convertible Cumulative Redeemable Preference shares (preference shares) issued by the Company on private placement basis standing as on April 1 2018 was Rs.90000000/- divided into 9000000 preference shares of Rs.10/- each.
The Board of Directors in its meeting held on February 13 2019 redeemed 482500 nos. of preference shares of Rs.10/- each aggregating to Rs.4825000/- out of the sum lying in the profit and loss account of the Company.
Consequent to the said reduction the total preference shares issued by the Company as on March 31 2019 was ? 85175000/- divided into 8517500 preference shares of Rs. 10/- each.
TRANSFER TO RESERVES
The Company has not transferred any amount to the general reserves.
The Company does not have any fixed deposits covered under Chapter V of the Companies Act 2013 as on March 31 2019 and accordingly there were no unclaimed deposits as on that date.
The fixed assets of the Company have been adequately insured.
DIRECTORS & KMP
Mr. Rajiv Batra (DIN 00748729) is retiring by rotation and being eligible offers himself for re-appointment.
Mr. Nabankur Gupta (DIN 00020125) Non-executive Director of the Company ceased to be a Director of the Company on December 7 2018 consequent to his demise. The Board of Directors convey their appreciation for the valuable services rendered by Mr. Gupta during his association with the Company.
Mr. Rajesh Batra (DIN 00020764) was re-appointed as the Managing Director of the Company for a period of three years with effect from June 1 2019 to May 31 2022.
Mr. N. Santhanam (DIN 00027724) and Dr. S.D. Israni (DIN 00125532) were re-appointed as the Independent Directors of the Company for second term of five years with effect from April 1 2019 to March 31 2024.
Mr. H.K. Vakharia (DIN 00020966) and Mr. N.R. Mahalingam (DIN 00035601) ceased to be the Independent Director of the Company consequent to the expiry of their term on March 31 2019.
There are no appointment/cessation of the Key Managerial Persons (KMP) during the financial year ended March 31 2019.
DECLARATION BY INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS
All Independent Directors have given declarations that they meet the criteria of independence as laid down under Section 149 (6) of the Companies Act 2013 and Regulation 16(1)(b) of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations 2015.
The details pertaining to the composition of audit committee are included in the Corporate Governance Report which forms part of this report.
(I) CRAVATEX BRANDS LTD (CBL)
As stated elsewhere the domestic brands business which comprises of the apparel footwear and accessories is a competitive sector with the presence of several global brands and large domestic brands as well as the unbranded sector. Increase in customs duty on footwear as well as a sharp depreciation of the Indian rupee versus the US dollar had an adverse impact on the profitability of the Sports goods business. The regulatory notification on e commerce in February of 2019 modified the rules thereby changing structurally how large e commerce players are permitted to operate in the country.
As regards the wellness business it is a niche business for branded players like CBL. One of the major customer segments for fitness equipment the real estate sector has had a slow down due to a financial crunch as well as the implementation of RERA. The organised pan India gym operators have also slowed down their expansion plans due to severe competition from strong local and regional players.
During the year 2018-19 the domestic economy in general and the consumer goods industry in particular indicated recovery from the temporary setback brought in by demonetisation and GST implementation glitches. As a result despite few negative factors stated above CBL could register considerable improvement over its financial performance over the previous year. The company has vastly improved its market presence in the branded business and the product visibility has expanded to many more points of sale. The retail revamp and thrust initiated in the year has yielded positive results as well. The key management team has been strengthened by augmenting well qualified professional COO CFO and CMO during the year.
For the year ended on 31st March 2019 CBL recorded a total revenue of ? 150.03 Cr indicating a growth of 31% over previous year. It recorded a loss before finance cost depreciation and tax at ? 3.09 Cr vis--vis a loss of ? 13.94 Cr. in the previous year. Slow down in wellness business increase in customs duty and adverse exchange rates (which were offset with a time lag) had an impact on the profitability.
With improved consumer sentiments and stable government expected to be in place by June 2019 leading to a favourable business environment CBL's performance is expected to be better in the ensuing year.
(II) BB (UK) Limited (BBUK)
The principal activity of the company has been designing sourcing and marketing of branded apparel and footwear as a licensee for the Fila brand in the UK and the Middle East. The company operates from UK catering to customers in UK Ireland Middle East etc. The operating performance of BBUK has once again been extra ordinary given that it operates in a mature market which is highly competitive. The company was reported as the 3rd fastest growing company in UK owned by an Indian parent in the CII-Grant Thornton report of 2019. It is a huge achievement by the operating management of the UK subsidiary. Financially as well the subsidiary has delivered excellent results.
During the FY 2018-19 the turnover achieved in INR terms at Rs 567.33 Cr and profit before tax at Rs 27.82 Cr has registered a growth of 134% and 178 % respectively over the previous year. With a view to improving the performance of licensed brands and maintain market edge the company has put in place a perpetual improvement process. The company's performance is expected to show further growth in the ensuing year.
The salient features of the financial statement of the subsidiary is set out in the prescribed Form AOC-1 which forms part of the board report.
The financial statement of the subsidiaries for the financial year ended March 31 2019 will be kept open for inspection for the Members at the Registered Office of the Company during the Company's business hours on any working day upto and including the date of the Annual General Meeting.
DIRECTORS' RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
As required under Section 134(5) of the Companies Act 2013 the Directors state that:
(a) in the preparation of the annual accounts the applicable accounting standards had been followed along with proper explanation relating to material departures;
(b) the directors had selected such accounting policies and applied them consistently and made judgments and estimates that are reasonable and prudent so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company at the end of the financial year and of the profit and loss of the company for that period;
(c) the directors had taken proper and sufficient care for the maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of this Act for safeguarding the assets of the company and for preventing and detecting fraud and other irregularities;
(d) the directors had prepared the annual accounts on a going concern basis; and
(e) the directors had laid down internal financial controls to be followed by the company and that such internal financial controls are adequate and were operating effectively.
(f) the directors had devised proper systems to ensure compliance with the provisions of all applicable laws and that such systems were adequate and operating effectively.
Your Company has taken adequate steps to ensure that all mandatory provisions of Corporate Governance in terms of Regulation 4(2) of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations 2015 has been complied with. A separate report on Corporate Governance is being incorporated as a part of the Annual Report along with a Certificate from a Practicing Company Secretary.
MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS REPORT
The Management Discussion and Analysis Report for the year under review as stipulated under Regulation 34(2)(e) of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations 2015 is annexed and forms a part of this report.
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS AND OUTGO
Information required pursuant to Section 134(3)(m) of the Companies Act 2013 read with The Companies (Accounts) Rules 2014 is given in the Annexure I to this Report.
CHANGES IN THE NATURE OF BUSINESS
There is no change in the nature of business carried on by the Company and of its Subsidiary. The Company has not changed the class of business in which the Company has an interest.
MATERIAL CHANGES AND COMMITMENTS
There have been no material changes and commitments affecting the financial position of the Company which have occurred between the end of the financial year of the Company to which the financial statements relate and the date of the report.
CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNTS
The Company had adopted the Indian Accounting Standards (IND AS) from April 1 2017 and accordingly the consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the recognition and measurement principles in IND AS Interim Financial Reporting and those prescribed under the Companies Act 2013 read with the relevant rules issued thereunder and the other accounting principles issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
The extract of annual return referred to in Section 92(3) and Section 134(3)(a) of the Companies Act 2013 read with rules made thereunder is placed on the website of the Company at www.cravatex.com/investors.
PARTICULARS OF THE EMPLOYEES
The Information required under Section 197(12) of the Companies Act 2013 read with rules made thereunder is included in this report as Annexure II and forms part of this report.
Pursuant to the provisions of the Companies Act 2013 and the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations 2015 a structured questionnaire was prepared after taking into consideration the various aspects of the Board functioning composition and the Board and its committee culture execution and performance of specific duties obligations and governance.
The performance evaluation of the Independent Directors was completed. The performance of the Chairman and Non-Independent Directors were carried out by the Independent Directors. The Board of Directors express their satisfaction with the evaluation process.
NUMBER OF BOARD MEEETINGS
The Company held 4 (four) Board Meetings during the Financial Year 2018-19. These were on May 25 2018 August 14 2018 November 12 2018 and February 13 2019.
PARTICULARS OF LOANS GUARANTEES OR INVESTMENTS
Details of loans guarantees and investments covered under section 186 of the Companies Act 2013 are given in the notes to the financial statement.
The Company has a whistle blower policy for reporting genuine concerns or grievances. The whistle blower policy has been posted on the website of the Company.
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 178 of the Companies Act 2013 and Regulation 19 of the SEBI (LODR) Regulations 2015 the Remuneration Policy has been formulated and adopted by the Board. The broad details are as follows:
PURPOSE OF THE POLICY
(a) To provide guidelines to the Board while identifying persons for appointment as directors / for positions in senior management
(b) To identify and evaluate the suitability of persons for recommending them to the Board for their appointment as directors including managing directors and executive directors as also persons who may be appointed in senior management positions.
(c) To recommend to the Board the Remuneration payable to the Directors Key Managerial Personnel and Senior Management.
The terms of remuneration shall be based keeping in view various aspects including qualifications experience performance commitment leadership skills etc.
(d) To devise plans from time to time to motivate retain and promote talent so as to ensure long term continuity of such personnel and in the process creating competitive advantage for the Company.
(a) To identify persons who are suitable for appointment as directors.
(b) To recommend the remuneration policy for the directors KMP and senior management. (c) To formulate the criteria for evaluation of Independent Directors and the Board; (d) To devise a policy on Board diversity.
(e) To disclose the remuneration policy and the evaluation criteria in its Annual Report.
(f) To recommend Board about the appointment and removal of directors.
(g) While formulating such a policy the Committee shall ensure that:
- the level and composition of remuneration is reasonable and sufficient to attract retain and motivate directors of the quality required to run the company successfully;
- relationship of remuneration to performance is clear and meets appropriate performance benchmarks.
All related party transactions are placed before the audit committee and board for approval.
The Company has not entered into any contract/arrangement/transaction with its related parties which is not in the ordinary course of business or not at arm's length during the financial year 2018-19. There are no material contract/arrangement/transaction with related parties at arms length basis during the year under review. Accordingly the disclosure relating to Form AOC-2 is not attached separately.
The Company has laid down policies and processes/procedures so as to ensure compliance to Section 188 of the Companies Act 2013 and the corresponding Rules. The details of related party transactions for the financial year 2018-19 are provided in Note 37 of the audited financial statements.
There are no transactions during the financial year under review with any person or entity belonging to the promoter/promoter group which hold(s) 10% or more shareholding in the listed entity.
SIGNIFICANT AND MATERIAL ORDERS PASSED BY THE REGULATORS OR COURTS OR TRIBUNALS
There are no significant and material orders passed by the regulators or courts or tribunals impacting the going concern status and company's operations in future.
Since the company has reported average losses in the three immediately preceding financial years and not being the specified class of company the provisions of Section 135 of the Companies Act 2013 were not applicable to the Company.
In terms of Section 204 of the Companies Act 2013 and the Companies (Appointment and Remuneration of Managerial Personnel) Rules 2014 the Company had appointed M/s. Hemanshu Kapadia & Associates Practising Company Secretary to conduct the Secretarial Audit for the financial year 2018-19. The secretarial audit report is included as Annexure III and forms a part of this report.
INTERNAL CONTROL SYSTEMS
Objective evaluation of adequacy and efficiency of internal controls and systems are done by qualified audit firm and monitored closely by the top management. Present control systems are considered as adequate for the size of business.
The risks that the Company is exposed to and the measures taken by the Company to tackle the same are as follows:
Sr. No. Risk Description Key Risk Matrix Mitigation Measure
1 Destruction of properties and assets due to fire etc Loss of assets resulting in financial loss. Comprehensive insurance is taken and monitored from time to time for adequacy.
2 Loss of income from office premises Fall in rentals in the market Premises falling vacant A duly registered Leave and License is contracted with reputed Licensee.
AUDITORS' REPORT
The are no fraud to be reported as required under Section 134(3)(ca) of the Companies Act 2013.
There are no qualifications reservation adverse remark or disclaimer made by the Auditors of the Company under Section 134(3)(f) of the Companies Act 2013.
The Secretarial Auditors have mentioned in the Secretarial Auditors Report that the Company has not made disclosures as specified in Schedule V(C) Point 2(g) Point 5(b) 5(c) and Point 9(c) of SEBI (Listing Obligation and Disclosure Requirements) Regulation 2015 in the Corporate Governance Report in Annual Report of the Company for the financial year 2017-18. The observations of the Secretarial Auditors have been noted and the details have been incorporated in the annual report for the financial year ended 2018-19.
The Secretarial Auditors have further pointed out that there was delay in issue of share cretificates in few cases pertaining to transfer transmission name deletion and transposition. Further there were two requests for dematerialization of shares which were processed after 21 days. As explained by the Registrar and Share Transfer Agents of the Company there has been delay in the last quarter while processing physical transfer of shares due to surge in volume on account of various SEBI circulars with regards to fixing the deadline for transfer financial year 2018-19. This delays are across the RTA industries which is already reported to SEBI by the RTA Association (RAIN).
STATUTORY AUDITORS
M/s. GPS and Associates Chartered Accountants Mumbai (Firm Regd. No. 121344W) were appointed as the Statutory Auditors of the Company in the 65th Annual General Meeting of the Company to hold office for a period of 5 years from the conclusion of the 65th Annual General Meeting until the conclusion of the 70th Annual General Meeting. The said Statutory Auditor shall hold office until the conclusion of the 70th Annual General Meeting.
The Company is committed to provide a safe and conducive work environment to all women employees. The Company strives hard to ensure that all women employees are treated with dignity and respect and are committed to providing a work environment free of sexual harassment. Pursuant to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prohibition Prevention and Redressal) Act 2013 and rules made thereunder the Company has a Policy for prevention of Sexual Harassment in the Company. This policy is applicable to all women personnel defined in the said act. The Company has complied with the applicable provisions of the aforesaid Act including constitution of the Internal Complaints Committee.
During the financial year 2018-19 there were no cases filed under Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prohibition Prevention and Redressal) Act 2013.
TRANSFER OF UNCLAIMED SHARES TO IEPF
Section 124(6) of the Companies Act 2013 read with the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (Accounting Audit Transfer and Refund) Rules 2016 Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (Accounting Audit Transfer and Refund) Amendment Rules 2017 and General Circular No.12/2017 dated October 16 2017 stipulated that shares on which dividend has not been paid or claimed for 7 consecutive years or more are to be transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) a Fund constituted by the Government of India under Section 125 of the Companies Act 2013.
Accordingly the Company had sent individual notices to the respective shareholders at their latest available address in the records of Company and Depositories providing the details of shares which are due for transfer requesting them to claim their unpaid dividends on or before August 31 2018 and avoid the transfer of their shares to IEPF. The Company had also published a newspaper notice in Business Standard in English Language and in Sakal in Marathi Language to this effect. In case where no valid claim was received on or before August 31 2018 the Company would take necessary steps to issue duplicate share certificate (for the shares held in physical mode) and issue delivery instruction slip (for the shares held in demat mode) and transfer the shares to IEPF account. Accordingly 3150 Equity Shares of the Company have been transferred to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) during the financial year 2018-19 in accordance with Section 125 of the Companies Act 2013 read with the rules made thereunder.
The Company has complied with all the applicable secretarial standards issued by The Institute of Company Secretaries of India and notified by the Central Government.
COST RECORDS
As per Section 148(1) of the Act read with the Companies (Cost Records and Audit) Rules 2014 the maintenance of cost records is not mandated for the Company.
Your directors wish to place on record their appreciation for the efforts hard work dedication and commitment put by employees at all levels as also for the valuable support extended by the Members Bankers and other business associates.
For and on behalf of the Board of Directors
Rajesh Batra
Place : Mumbai
Dated : May 24 2019
CIN : L93010MH1951PLC008546
Sahas 4th Floor 414/2 Veer Savarkar Marg
Prabhadevi Mumbai-400 025.
Tel. No.: +91 22 66667474 Fax No.: +91 22 24973210
E-mail: investors@cravatex.com
Website: www.cravatex.com
Annexure I
ANNEXURE TO THE DIRECTORS' REPORT
Additional information as required under The Companies (Accounts) Rules 2014.
A. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
(a) The steps taken on conservation of energy:
The Company has been making optimum use of electrical energy by regular maintenance. Regular watch has been kept to prevent wastage of energy.
(b) Impact on conservation of energy:
Negligible.
(c) The steps taken by the company for utilising alternate sources of energy
None as the Company is not engaged in any manufacturing activities and the energy consumption is insignificant.
(d) The capital investment on energy conservation equipments:
None presently.
B. TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION
(i) The efforts made towards technology absorption;
Not Applicable as the Company is not engaged in any Hitech or Manufacturing Activities.
(ii) The benefits derived like product improvement cost reduction product development or import substitution; Not Applicable
(iii) iii) In case of imported technology (imported during the last three years reckoned from the beginning of the financial year) (a) the details of technology imported; (b) the year of import; (c) whether the technology been fully absorbed; (d) if not fully absorbed areas where absorption has not taken place and the reasons thereof; and Not Applicable
(iv) The expenditure incurred on Research and Development.
C. FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS AND OUTGO
The Foreign Exchange earned in terms of actual inflows during the year and the Foreign Exchange outgo during the year in terms of actual outflows are as follows:
Earnings: Dividend Income from BB (UK) Limited 275.52 68.48
Expenditure: - -
DISCLOSURE PURSUANT TO SECTION 197(12) OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2013 AND RULE 5 OF THE COMPANIES (APPOINTMENT AND REMUNERATION OF MANAGERIAL PERSONNEL) RULES 2014
1. The ratio of the remuneration of each director to the median remuneration of the employees of the company for the financial year;
Name of the Director Ratio of the remuneration of each director to the median remuneration
Rajesh Batra 2.36 : 1
NOTE : a) For calculation of median remuneration the employee count taken is 7 inclusive of employees who have partly served in financial year 2018-19.
b) Apart from Mr. Rajesh Batra Managing Director no other Director is entitled for remuneration and are being paid Sitting Fees for attending Board/Committee Meetings.
2. The percentage increase in remuneration of each Director Chief Financial Officer Chief Executive Officer Company Secretary or Manager if any in the financial year:
Sr. No. Name Designation %
i. Rajesh Batra Managing Director 212.00%
ii. Divakar Kamath President - Corporate Affairs & CFO (7.00)%
iii. Sudhanshu Namdeo Company Secretary 9.00%
3. The percentage increase/(decrease) in the median remuneration of employees in the financial year: 25.14%
4. The number of permanent employees on the rolls of company as on 31.03.19: 7
5. Average percentile increase already made in the salaries of employees other than the managerial personnel in the last financial year and its comparison with the percentile increase in the managerial remuneration:
Remuneration paid to employees excluding managerial personnel (30.35)%
Remuneration paid to managerial personnel 31.59%
For calculation of average percentile increase the last financial year employee count was 12 and current financial year employee count was 7.
6. It is hereby affirmed that the remuneration paid is as per the Remuneration Policy of the Company for Directors Key Managerial Persons and Employees.
7. (i) The name of employees who if employed throughout the financial year was in receipt of remuneration for that year which in the aggregate was not less than one crore two lakh rupees : None
(ii) The name of employees who if employed for a part of the financial year was in receipt of remuneration for any part of that year at a rate which in the aggregate was not less than eight lakh and fifty thousand rupees per month ; None
8. The name of every employee of the company who if employed throughout the financial year or part thereof was in receipt of remuneration in that year which in the aggregate or as the case may be at a rate which in the aggregate is in excess of that drawn by the managing director: None


text:
Parliament approves €97M for Keta water supply system
By Ghana Broadcasting Corporation
By Stphen Donkor A Medical Practitioner at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Felix Anniagye has described Hepatitis B as hundred...
Ghana Broadcasting Corporationhttps://www.gbcghanaonline.com
Parliament has approved two loan agreements—Buyer Credit Facility and Commercial Facility—from Deutsche Bank S.p.A (as Arranger, Agent and Original Lenders) [supported by the Italian export credit agency, SACE S.p.A.] totalling €97,184,577.92 to finance the Expansion and Rehabilitation of the Keta Water Supply System in the Volta Region.
The agreements are: Buyer Credit Facility Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Deutsche Bank S.p.A (as Arranger, Agent and Original Lenders) [supported by the Italian export credit agency, SACE S.p.A.] for an amount of €84,417,649.82 to finance the Expansion and Rehabilitation of the Keta Water Supply System, and
The object of the project is to rehabilitate and expand the Keta Water Supply System and the project duration is expected to be thirty (30) months from the date of commencement.
The major components of the project include:
Construction of an intake facility of capacity 42,053m3/ day (9.3MGD);
Construction of a 35,000m3/ day (7.7MGD) conventional water treatment plant; Construction of 62km transmission pipeline from Agordome to Keta via Anloga;
Construction of a Booster Station (i.e. 359m3/ hr capacity);
Construction of Storage tanks;
Rehabilitation and extension of distribution network, approximately 80km of pipes varying from 100mm to 450mm;
Supply of 8,000Nr. Domestic meters and spare parts; and
Rehabilitation of existing water treatment plant to its installed capacity of 78,200m3/day
The Committee noted that the Keta Water Supply System provides water to Agordome-Sogakope, Keta, Anloga and their surrounding communities. When complete, these towns would have access to regular supply of water. Other communities that would benefit from the project include Kpodze, Kpotame, Vume, Tefle, Sokpoe, Dabala Junction, Tregui, Badadzi, Havedzi, Adzato, Tegbi, Hovi-Aferdome, Kedzi and Nukpesekope, among others.
The Committee observed that the benefits to accrue from the project when completed are:
Improved access to potable water supply to the supply areas;
Improved level of service by increased coverage in projected area;
Growth in productivity of the inhabitants leading to economic development and growth;
Improved business opportunities mainly industrial and commercial enterprises; and
Improved, clean, safe and reliable drinking water leading to improvement in health of the people in the catchment area.
The Agordome-Sogakope water supply system supplies water to Sogakope, Keta and other surrounding towns and villages. The water supply system which was built in 1998 takes its raw water from the Lake Volta.
The existing water system has five main components namely:
Intake facility to abstract raw water from the Lake Volta.
Water treatment facilities with a nominal capacity of 7,200 ma/day.
. Conveyance and Distribution Systems-160 km of pipes of various sizes.
. Three (3) elevated water tanks (EWTs) and two (2) ground level reservoirs (GLRs) and
Two (2) booster pumping stations (BPSs).
As a result of population and economic growth in the Southern part of the Volta Region over the past years, the current water supply system to these areas is inadequate. The situation has compelled majority of the inhabitants to resort to ground water and private water tankers for their water needs, options that are more expensive and sometimes have negative health effects, if not handled properly.
In order to address these concerns, the Ministry contracted Messrs Lesico Infrastructure S.R.L. to carry out an assessment on the Keta Water Supply systems. The assessment indicated the poor and deteriorating state of the Water Supply System and recommended the need for major rehabilitation and expansion works to be carried out timely in order to ensure continuity of water supply to meet growing demand up to the year 2030 and beyond.
Story filed by Edzorna Francis Mensah
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Edem Kokoroko August 28, 2020 At 7:37 pm
Good project
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