No more flyovers please
At present, two flyovers, the Maligaon flyover and the Zoo-road flyover, have been under construction for some years in addition to the six flyovers already existing in Guwahati. Our experience shows that flyover projects consistently miss their target date of completion. During the construction time, the flow of city traffic movement comes to a standstill in jams, which is painful and extreme physical torture for the commuters due to long waiting in the traffic jams, more so in the sultry conditions.
The department and contractors have a very casual approach to completing the construction of infrastructure projects on time, for reasons best known to them. Obviously, however, they are careless about the public woes, which make long waits for students, schoolchildren, serious patients, and outgoing passengers catching trains or flights, daily earners. Meanwhile, the Assam cabinet has taken a decision during a cabinet meeting in Silchar to construct three new flyovers in Guwahati near Down Town Hospital, Fatasil-Garchuk, and Kumarpara-Fatasil. The Government is also mulling over constructing a Noonmati-Dighalipukhuri flyover connecting Noonmati FCI godown and the RBI office in Guwahati. It is entreated that before the final decision on new flyovers, the Government may take expert opinion on the utility of a glut of flyovers and consider people’s pain and hardship on the roads in the hot summer and rainy days during the long construction period.
Preferably, the introduction of metro train service in Guwahati is expected to ease traffic congestion substantially. The old metro project dating back to the earlier Congress Government may be revived and work thereon taken up in all earnestness and sincerity. Lastly, traffic movement in the city may be improved on the existing road network and flyovers (including incomplete ones) by enforcing some restrictions like banning roadside parking and creating convenient parking facilities at various places.
Pannalal Dey,
Guwahati.
Help strays beat the summer heat
India’s unforgiving summer heat is already setting in, and one can only imagine with increasing dismay how much hotter it’s going to get in the coming months. While we still have roofs over our heads and ACs to cool us down, our furry friends roaming the streets aren’t that privileged. But there’s a lot you can do to help them and ensure that they don’t have to face the wrath of the impending summer.
Animals and birds get easily dehydrated in the summer. So it’s good to keep water out for them. It is best to use terracotta or mud bowls for drinking water, as they keep the water cool for longer. Make sure you regularly clean and change the water to avoid contamination. Avoid adding extremely chilled water too, as it may expose the animal to the risk of a heat stroke. Also remember that the water you place for the animals might dry up quickly, so refill the bowl on a regular basis.
For the birds, you can additionally hang water containers on your balcony, terrace, or on trees in your garden so that they don’t have to risk their lives and come to the ground to quench their thirst. It’s also easier for them to spot water containers if they’re placed at a height.
Dicksha Boro,
Cotton University.
Safety measures for animals in Kaziranga
Since the massive earthquake that occurred in 1950, the flood problem has become a deplorable disaster for Assam. Every year, massive floods hit Assam badly. The people of Assam and the wild animals have also been suffering from the flood. Kaziranga National Park faces this demon every monsoon. The wild residents of the park totally become directionless during this flood. Various provisions, like highland and other precautions, are taken by the authority. But after all these efforts, the animals have to encounter different problems. Due to the uprising of water during the monsoon, they usually come out to the highways and take shelter in the highlands, where animals have to face the frequent hits of speedy vehicles. As a remedial measure, the government has set up various speed limit devices and cameras on the NH 715, especially in the National Park area, to curb the speed of the vehicles. During the inception period of the installation of these cameras, very strict provisions were initiated from the concerned end. But as of now, most of the cameras and speed limit devices are not functioning.
For this reason, the maximum vehicle speed in the destined areas has been increasing again, which creates more havoc for the wild animals during the flood seasons. So, I request the authority concerned to take the necessary measures to ensure the maximum safety of the wild inhabitants.
Aditya Ankur Nath,
Tezpur.
Endurance limit
There appears to be a new slogan that says ‘Clay That Slays’ in the recently concluded French Open Championship held at the clay courts of Ronald Garros. The level of Tennis exhibited by Ronald Garros and the players makes us believe that the endurance level of playing tennis has risen to a very high height. One simply wonders how two players battle for victory in matches lasting almost 6 hours where the crowd fatigues after watching the match instead of the two players. For every Indian, it is simply supernatural. But yours truly believes otherwise. Our politicians can easily match the endurance of the players, as they can address public rallies from morning until late at night in any condition without showing any sign of fatigue.
Dr Ashim Chowdhury,
Guwahati.