Public
woes
It has been for more than a year since construction of flyover and remodeling of footpaths along the Pandu-Maligaon portion of the road began. The period has till now passed two rainy seasons. The aam admi, commuters and pedestrians, have been facing enormous difficulty due to slow progress of works at the site. The construction of the flyover has led to huge traffic jams on the road daily, inconveniencing all types of commuters. For remodeling of footpaths, part demolition work has been done much ahead of time, leaving the hide drains open, which is unsafe for the public.
The annual big occasion for the autumnal festivals has nearly arrived with the four-day-long Durga Puja followed by Laxmi and Kali Puja in the next month. A huge crowd in hundreds will be out on the roads for visiting Puja pandals for first three days of Durga Puja and going to the immersion bay on the day of Bijoya Dashami. The unrepaired condition of the road/footpath raises a question mark over the safety of pandal-hoppers, particularly in the rush hour in the evening and night time. Through this column, kind attention of the district administration is drawn to review the safety aspect of the commuters.
Pannalal Dey,
Guwahati.
Accommodation for students
I would like to express my concern about the inadequate facilities of accommodation for students coming to Guwahati from different cities. Education is the need of the hour. In small cities, students do not get as many avenues for studies as they do in Guwahati. Hence, students from different parts of the Assam come to Guwahati to study. But getting a reasonable accommodation here becomes a challenge for them. Rents are soaring unbelievably high as landlords demand exorbitant rent. The condition of hostels in educational institutions is not good. They, too, do not have adequate facilities. The ceiling fans of the some rooms in these hostels are not working. The unswept floors and unhygienic conditions are additional problems. This issue needs to be addressed immediately. As such, I request the authorities and owners of private hostels to take adequate steps to resolve the students' problem and ensure their comfortable stay in the city.
Nayanmoni Deka,
Cotton University.