Letters to THE EDITOR: Urgent need to protect street animals in Guwahati

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Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities and the general public to the growing need to protect and ensure the safety of street animals in Guwahati. Recently, I came across a newborn puppy lying on the roadside. The sight was heartbreaking, especially considering the dangers posed by speeding vehicles on our roads. Street animals, particularly newborn puppies and kittens, are extremely vulnerable to road accidents, cruelty, hunger and harsh weather conditions. Unfortunately, many drivers fail to slow down or exercise caution when animals cross or rest on the streets.

These innocent creatures have no one to protect them. I sincerely request the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, animal welfare organisations and other concerned authorities to take necessary steps to ensure their safety. Measures such as installing warning signs in areas where street animals are commonly found, enforcing speed limits, creating safe shelters, arranging regular feeding and rescue facilities, and conducting public awareness campaigns can make a significant difference.

I also appeal to citizens to drive responsibly, show compassion towards street animals and report cases of injured or abandoned animals to the appropriate authorities.

Street animals are living beings too and deserve care, kindness and protection. A little awareness and humanity on the part of each of us can save many innocent lives.

I hope this issue receives the attention it deserves through your esteemed newspaper.

Junali Rohang,

Guwahati

Power pinch

Electricity is no longer merely a household necessity; it has become an indispensable yet increasingly expensive lifeline. The latest power tariff hike in Assam, approved by the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission, therefore warrants serious public scrutiny.

Although the increase of Rs 0.05 per unit for Jeevandhara and domestic consumers below 30 kW appears marginal, the Rs 0.30 per-unit hike for other low-tension categories and high-tension consumers above 20 kW could significantly increase monthly expenditure. For households already grappling with the rising prices of essential commodities, even incremental tariff revisions can cumulatively become onerous.

What is particularly disconcerting is the absence of a convincing public explanation for the rationale behind the revision. If rising operational costs, infrastructure modernisation or distribution losses necessitate higher tariffs, the utility must substantiate these claims through transparent disclosures. Consumers should not be made to bear the burden of systemic inefficiencies, power pilferage or administrative profligacy.

Moreover, the government must ensure that economically vulnerable households are not caught in the crossfire of indiscriminate price revisions. Affordable electricity is integral to social equity, educational continuity and the viability of small businesses. Any tariff rationalisation must, therefore, strike a balance between financial sustainability and distributive justice.

The authorities must tighten their belts, plug revenue leakages and improve operational efficiency before passing additional burdens on to consumers. Electricity should illuminate homes, not darken household budgets. A power policy that fails to protect consumers ultimately risks losing public trust.

Dipen Gogoi,

Jorhat.