Lack of proper waste management in Bhutnath-Santipur area
With the columns of your worthy daily, I would like to bring to the notice of the authorities concerned and the public that there is a growing issue of indiscriminate waste disposal in the Bhutnath and Santipur regions of Guwahati.
Even though the area is a residential and business-orientated one, the area lacks proper dustbins and garbage dumping points. Thus, the residents and bypassers have no option but to dispose of garbage on the streets themselves. With time, this has resulted in dumps of garbage giving off pungent odours and unhygienic surroundings.
The constant smell of rotting garbage has made it very hard for the inhabitants to lead normal lives. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable since the rising population of flies, mosquitoes, and stray dogs around the rubbish mounds exposes them to increased risks. The unhygienic situation has already contributed to a sharp rise in dengue, skin infections, and respiratory diseases in the locality. Without immediate intervention, this could soon develop into a public health hazard.
The problem is compounded during the rainy season, when the trash becomes commingled with standing rainwater, so the roads become slippery, dirty, and very unhygienic. This not only harms the well-being and health of the people around the area but also besmirches the city's reputation. It is the right time that the municipal authorities introduce measures to set up sufficient dustbins, carry out systematic garbage collection, and educate the residents about disposal of waste. Community involvement and strict monitoring can also play a significant role in increasing the area’s cleanness.
I sincerely hope that this concern is taken seriously, and appropriate measures are initiated at the earliest.
Pratham Kalita,
Gauhati University
People deserve answers from the minister
Recently, Hon’ble Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah publicly admitted that he indulged in illegal activities during his tenure with the Congress party. Such a bold confession, made in a public forum, raises serious concerns and demands immediate scrutiny. If illegal acts were indeed committed, no further proof is necessary. His own words are a damning indictment.
Now, the people of Assam deserve full transparency. What were the illegal activities he referred to? Who else was involved? In a democracy, the people are sovereign, and elected leaders are accountable to them.
Furthermore, how can we be assured that such activities are not continuing today? Has the minister undergone investigation or scrutiny since switching political allegiance? The public must be reassured that those in power now are not carrying forward the same practices they once condemned. The minister must come clean—not just with vague admissions, but with full disclosure.
Prafulla Dowarah
Guwahati
Rat race
With the advent of the Assembly election in the state, there will be a rat race among the three Gogois – Akhil, Gaurav and Lurinjyoti – and also the AIUDF to win over the votes of the linguistic minority even at the cost of the nation’s security and integrity with utmost appeasement. This, in fact, is very alarming for the future of the sons of the soil.
Through this letter, I make a fervent appeal to my Axomiya brothers and sisters to get united and act decisively. Else everything will be lost like the Kashmiri Pandits. It is a clarion call.
Joel Goyari,
Tangla
Assam’s digital economy
The first tracking project to connect remote villages in every block with 4G and 5G networks across Assam has become vital as Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have already started transforming the rural economy of the state and brought new hope for digital commerce. The July 1 editorial 'Unlocking Assam's digital economy' has rightly pointed out that digital literacy plays the most crucial role in rural entrepreneurs tapping the benefits, and Assam must focus on it as the state is striving to leverage the digital economy to accelerate growth and progress. The democratisation of digital commerce under the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has unlocked new marketing opportunities for MSMEs which were dependent on traditional media to reach out to consumers before access to digital platforms. Now, we need digital empowerment of students and youth to ignite their dreams of innovative digital solutions, entrepreneurship, startup ideas and getting connected to the global digital economy. With Assam accounting for the largest share of MSMEs in the region, surpassing the Reserve Bank of India benchmark of 60 per cent, there is a need for the establishment of more public Wi-Fi hotspots in rural Assam to make use of digital literacy imparted through comprehensive training and orientation. The panchayat and local bodies must play a pivotal role to attract key stakeholders in the state's digital economy. The Trade Enablement and Marketing (TEAM) scheme, launched by the Ministry of MSME, will definitely ensure a more robust and inclusive digital commerce ecosystem in the state with 50 per cent woman-owned enterprises on ONDC. It needs to be mentioned here that the new rules for OTP processing are a step in the right direction for enhancing security and preventing fraud in digital commerce and help people move closer to a safer and more reliable digital economy in all spheres, which is a strategic necessity.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.