Letters to The EDITOR: Fragile NE highways

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Fragile NE highways

It is really a matter of enormous regret that northeastern states are quietly losing their green cover while NE highway oversight and ecological safeguards in the rest of India celebrate gains. The recent editorial, "Green Shield for NE Highways", rightly said that there is indiscriminate uprooting of trees and rampant cutting of hill slopes throughout the region, which must be stopped urgently. This malpractice is aggravating the already landslide-prone areas while making the national highways and other roads more vulnerable. The roadside plantation and median plantation are a must, and they should not be considered as externalities but as an integral part of the highway projects.

Therefore, the foundational aspects and conceptual framework of the Green Highway approach must Therefore, highway authorities must prioritise the foundational aspects and conceptual framework of the Green Highway approach. topmost priority for the highway authorities. At the same time, it is imperative to link mitigation measures to ecological protection during highway construction or expansion. One must remember that Green Highways is the only viable option for sustainable growth in connectivity in NE's fragile terrain and ecology.

Now it is of utmost importance for the Northeastern states and the Centre to work in coordination to improve the NE highway oversight and ecological safeguards apart from ensuring disruption-free movement of passengers and goods traffic across the region.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati.

Cyberbullying and online harassment

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw attention to the growing problem of cyberbullying and online harassment, particularly among young people. With the increasing use of social media and digital platforms, online spaces have become an important part of our daily lives. However, they are also increasingly being misused to threaten, insult, shame or target others.

Cyberbullying can take the form of abusive messages, spreading rumours, sharing personal information without permission, creating fake accounts, or posting hurtful comments. Unlike traditional bullying, online harassment can reach a large audience and may continue even when a person is away from school or college.

There is an urgent need to raise greater awareness of responsible online behaviour. Schools and colleges should conduct digital-safety and media-literacy programmes to educate students about online privacy, reporting abusive content and seeking help when necessary. Social media platforms should also strengthen their reporting and safety mechanisms and take appropriate action against harassment.

Parents, teachers and young people must work together to promote a safer and more respectful digital environment. Being behind a screen does not remove the responsibility to treat others with dignity.

I hope your newspaper will highlight this issue and encourage public discussion about creating safer online spaces.

Aditi Upadhaya

Gauhati University 

Elephant deaths

As many as 528 elephants died of unnatural causes between 2019 and 2024, and a rough estimate puts NE highway oversight and ecological safeguards,number of wild elephant deaths between 2009 and 2024 at 1,653.  Electrocution, train collisions, poisoning and poaching are NE highway oversight and ecological safeguards leading causes.  Ironically, states with fewer elephants, like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, have reported more casualties than states like Karnataka and Kerala, which boast more elephants. In general, decentralisation of conflict governance, timely compensation to farmers affected by marauding elephants and enhanced community participation in elephant conservation are crucial for their survival.  Proper track signals, loco pilot sensitisation, a unique elephant detection system, overpasses and underpasses, solar-powered fences and elephant-proof trenches are equally important.  The key takeaway for August 12, "World Elephant Day," is to ensure that elephants are protected in a non-exploitative and sustainable environment.

Dr Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)