Letters to The Editor

Lessons from Uttarakhand disaster

The disaster on February 7 in the mountains of Nanda Devi in Uttarakhand should send the alarm bells ringing in all Northeastern States, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh and downstream Assam. The disaster has claimed many lives while scores of people are reported missing. The sudden surge of water and sediments that washed away everything in their path, including NTPC's under-construction 520-MW Tapovan Hydel Project, invoked a grim reminder of the 2013 flash-floods that devastated Kedarnath.

The planned 2880-MW Dibang Dam and 3097-MW Etalin Dam in Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh pose a threat not only to the entire ecosystem of the region but also to the lives of people living downstream. The Hindu Kush Himalayan Assessment study released by the ICIMOD has assessed that the Himalayan region was warming at a faster rate compared to the global average which has led to the rise in frequent glacier melts, erratic snowfall and rain activities, thus making the entire region highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. When put together – large hydel projects, rampant hill-cutting and deforestation, fast melting glaciers and the high seismicity of the region are a perfect recipe for a disaster. An unimaginable devastation may befall upon the region.

The Government of Arunachal Pradesh should shelve its economic model surrounding large hydel projects, and instead opt for more sustainable development models for the State. It is high time all Himalayan States, including the Centre, the industry lobby and the policymakers reviewed their current Himalayan development models.

Himangka Kaushik,

Guwahati

Women CRPF personnel

A maiden contingent of 34 CRPF women personnel was inducted into the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) recently. The contingent will soon be deployed in anti-Naxal operations.

It is a good move and is welcome. The Government should take appropriate steps without delay.

Putul Sarma,

Biswanath Chariali

Reduce road accidents

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has called for all-round efforts by all stakeholders to ensure that deaths due to road accidents are reduced by 50 per cent by 2025. He stated that we stand at the number one position in road accidents in the world. As per the government's data, approximately 1.5 lakh people die, and more than 4.5 lakh people are injured in road accidents every year in the country – 415 deaths per day in road accidents. 70 per cent of the deaths are in the age group of 18 to 45 years old. This is an alarming situation for the country. The need of the hour is that the Union Government and State governments should initiate steps to reduce road accidents and build awareness on road safety issues. People need to follow traffic rules and adopt safeguards during driving.

Amit Singh Kushwaha,

Satna (M.P.)

Bicycle lanes

The recent move by the Government of Karnataka to introduce bicycle lanes on Race Course Road in the Central Business District of Bengaluru is welcome. The move comes at a time when eco-friendly and sustainable modes of transport through bicycles are gaining momentum across the world. Bicycles help to contribute to the environment and reduce traffic congestion to an extent. Bengaluru is now witnessing manifold vehicular traffic.

Further, the authorities should extensively plan to develop more bicycle lanes across the city including within the Central Business district. Schools and educational establishments should be advised to encourage their students to use bicycles extensively to commute to schools. As also the workplaces should encourage the use of bicycles under its Corporate Social Responsibility drives. The exodus of cyclists thus on the roads will otherwise compel the urban policymakers to create dedicated cycle tracks across all the parts of the city.

Varun Dambal,

Bangalore

Candid and bold

I am not writing this piece to flatter the team of The Sentinel. I have been a regular subscriber of this esteemed daily for last five years. What I have found good about your daily is "the bold and candid reporting". Usually most of the newspapers are anti-government and try to paint a picture of negativity. But your team is brave enough to praise the good works and come hard on the bad works. I mean this newspaper is unbiased and the standard of English language is excellent. The editorial write-up is very informative and precise. Throughout the last five years or so I have seen your editorial column getting harsh on wrongdoings of the government and praising the good job by government. The journalism ethics maintained by you and your team is praiseworthy. The Letters to The Editor section is the best part of the newspaper where you let the people of different strata express views fearlessly through their writing.

Overall I wish this newspaper which is true sentinel of the people grow from strength to strength providing the subscribers with authentic news and views.

Pratap Dutta,

Tezpur

Name a train after Srimanta Sankardev

The history of Indian Railways dates back to over 165 years ago. The first passenger train ran between Bori Binder (Mumbai) and Thane on 16th April 1853. The trains in India are normally named after landmarks such as rivers, mountains, regions, abstract qualities or some historical events. Of course, there are a few trains in India which have been named after some famous individuals. For example, the tri-weekly 'the Mahamana Express', running between New Delhi and Varanasi, has been named after Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, a freedom fighter and an educationist who established Banaras Hindu University. Similarly, the 'Kabiguru Express', runs between Howrah and Bhagalpur, Bihar has been named after poet Rabindra Nath Tagore. The people of Assam want that the Indian Railways name a long-distance passenger train running from a station of upper Assam or from the capital city Guwahati after the name of Sri Sankardev, a 15th and 16th century Assamese saint, scholar, poet, play writer and social-religious reformer. I, therefore, request the Railway Ministry to name a long-distance passenger train, originating from Assam after the name of 15th century neo Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardev. In fact, naming a train after Sri Sankardev will be a serious effort to spread the culture of Assam and ideals of Sankardev in India and abroad.

Maheswar Deka,

Rangia