A
second flyover
at Bijni
People of Bijni are worried enough upon coming to know that one more flyover is being constructed over the railway level crossing in the main market area of this developing town. Worse affected by this information is the business community of this small town, as the spot earmarked for construction of this second flyover is so located that if the construction really takes place, all the principal business establishments will face closure. These establishments are the lifeline of most of the families in and around Bijni and, therefore, they are passing sleepless nights thinking about the coming days. The authorities concerned have already started surveys etc., marking the areas up to which the flyover would extend, which the business owners are helplessly observing and expressing fear of losing business. People in general are also very much concerned as the developing nature of the town is sure to be eroded by such construction.
The flyover will also affect historical Bijni Xatra as part of this will get hidden under the flyover and the road leading to Bijni Xatra will lead nowhere. Besides the Bijni Xatra, a number of other places of worship will also become eclipsed under the flyover.
The area surveyed for the proposed construction mostly consists of private owners' landed property and acquisition of such properties will result in drainage of a huge amount of money from the exchequer as compensation to the property owners. The existing flyover is merely 200 meters away from the proposed site and serving the purpose very smoothly. If all the engine-run vehicles are mandatorily routed over this flyover, then there will be no traffic jam or any other problem of concern. A foot overbridge in the proposed site may be considered for unhindered movement of the pedestrians.
Therefore, people in Bijni feel that the luxury of constructing a second flyover at Bijni should be shelved. The Delhi Government recently saved a huge amount of money from an ongoing project of construction of a flyover and spent that amount for needful purposes. Our State Government could also set such example by foregoing this project as mentioned above.
One more very authentic reason for shelving of this proposed project is that once this new flyover is opened for use, the existing flyover will be left abandoned and soon turn into a heaven for anti-social activity.
Hiranya Jyoti Bayan,
Bijni.
Flood woes
We saw how rain flooded the main roads of Guwahati and how people of those areas suffered because of the dirty water that flooded their way. People had to cross that road for getting their work done. If we carefully look for the reason why every time the same area is flooded, that reason will be found to be poor drainage system which makes those roads waterlogged after even slight rainfall. Residents living in those areas can't even go out for their every day needs and have to take help of the rescue teams. Electricity and water supply are cut off from those areas during the flood period. People have to face a lot of hardships during such periods.
As such, I request the authorities to take steps for the betterment of drainage system of Guwahati city.
Ipsita Roy,
Cotton University.
Bishnu Rabha Udyan
Luminaries like Bishnu Prasad Rabha helped cast a beautiful halo around the entire Assamese community. Tezpur is specially blessed as legends like Bishnu Rabha created magic here. The soil of Tezpur glistens with the gold that legends like Bishnu Rabha, Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Phani Sharma had long sown with their works. But have we done enough to thank these luminaries?
Bishnu Rabha's final resting place in Gereki was in a sorrowful condition for 36 long years but some responsible citizens of Tezpur wrote many letters to newspapers asking to accord respect to the great artiste. Finally, Rabha's family succumbed to societal pressure and in 2005, built a park and a memorial which soon became a frequently visited site as it overlooks the Brahmaputra and is a quiet neighbourhood, far away from the city hustle and bustle.
But lately it is seen that the area is cleaned and painted only once in a year, that is before June 20 as it marks the death anniversary of Bishnu Rabha. Now as the Kalaguru's son represents Tezpur in the assembly and it has been more than a year of him taking the office, we can only hope that we will see Bishnu Rabha Udyan in a much better shape.
Noopur Baruah
Tezpur
Caring for the homeless
Homelessness in India is a growing issue, and to overcome the problem it requires multilateral cooperation. Our country has a population of 1.40 billion, nonetheless it struggles with maintaining an equal distribution of wealth. Seventy five years have rolled by since India's independence, sadly there are many homeless people in our country who live on streets, under bridges, on highways or just in any place they seek refuge. In addition, they are exposed to the vagaries of extreme weather conditions, and they have to use what is at their disposal to protect themselves. Homelessness is one of the worst conditions of existence for a person deprived of security, growth and dignity in life. It is a pity that the far cries of these vagabonds and their fundamental life needs are unheard of by the policy makers of the government. Simple, yet essential daily needs like taking a shower or going out for work that we take for granted, are big and real concerns for the community of homeless people. We, as a society, must create shelters for the homeless, provide basic support and help them fight for their rights and dignity in life.
Ranganathan Sivakumar
Chennai