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Impact of Climate Change in Guwahati
I am writing to express my concern regarding the increasing impact of climate change in Guwahati. Over the past few years, residents have witnessed significant shifts in weather patterns — unpredictable rainfall, intense heatwaves, and frequent flash floods have become the new normal. The city’s infrastructure is under tremendous stress due to these changes. Areas such as Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, and Zoo Road Tiniali are often waterlogged after heavy rain, causing severe disruption to transport and daily life. Moreover, the rising temperatures are contributing to health issues and water scarcity in many localities.
Experts have linked these problems to factors like rapid urbanization, destruction of green cover, and encroachment on wetlands. Despite several warnings from environmentalists, very little has been done to implement sustainable urban planning and climate-resilient policies. I urge the government, urban planners, and citizens to take immediate steps to address this issue. We must prioritize tree plantation drives, conservation of water bodies, improved drainage systems, and greater awareness among the public. Media campaigns and school programmes can also play a vital role in educating people about climate responsibility.
Dikshita Kalita
Gauhati University
Drug-free NE
There is a new dawn of development in NE with PM Narendra Modi, who has accorded so much thrust to bringing the Northeast part of India closer to the mainstream, as he said, "The 21st century belongs to the East, to Asia, to the East, to India. Unfortunately, the perception of the region today is badly plagued with a most disturbing and worrying picture of illicit drug traffickers, who are running their rackets with greater strategy and vigour, which made the relentless efforts of enforcement agencies to make the region drug-free a long-drawn battle. The editorial 'Demand reduction strategy for drug-free Northeast', published in your esteemed daily on May 29, has rightly highlighted the harsh reality in Chin state in Myanmar, bordering Mizoram and Manipur, where most opium poppy cultivation is concentrated, for which synthetic drug production and other illicit economies around online casinos and scam centres are expanding rapidly in the Golden Triangle. The alarm bell has already been sounded by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), which implies there is a need to intensify the guard against drug trafficking from Myanmar into and through the region. But it is not sufficient to curb the menace. Unless the communities from all walks of life come out and play the proactive role in preventing drug addiction in the society, it is quite difficult to save the budding youth of the region from the clutches of illicit drug traffickers. The pragmatic option is to raise public awareness against substance abuse, which needs to be part of the social learning process in the school curriculum while promoting physical activities, sports and skill development among students and youth, as we are determined to build a strong foundation for the future generations of the Northeast region. Today's need of the hour is empowering the NE's youth with a strong personality and leadership qualities to bring the goals of a drug-free NE closer and dream of propelling the mission of a "Viksit Bharat" forward. Let us pledge to transform the government-supported anti-drug campaign into a strong people's movement in every nook and corner of the Northeast.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.
iPhones from India shine
Apple exported 2.9 million iPhones from India to the USA in April 2025, which is 76% more than last year. This shows that Apple is reducing its dependence on China and trusting India more for making its phones. While exports from China to the USA have dropped a lot, India’s numbers are growing fast. Even though former US President Donald Trump had asked Apple to make iPhones in America and warned about high taxes, Apple chose India because making phones in the USA would be too costly. This is a very positive sign for India. It proves that India is becoming a strong and trusted country for manufacturing. It’s a happy and proud moment for India’s progress!
Asad Damrubar
(masad92135@gmail.com)