Smoked out of home by road repairs

Over the past week, we have been subjected to untold harassment by the weird work practices of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation. The nearby roads are being repaired. For this, workers have dumped sand, stone chips and furnace at the Jatin Bagchi Road-Purna Das Road crossing, blocking the garage and the entrance to the house. To add to our woes, all through the night from around 8.30 pm, the men melt bitumen right under the balcony, creating a din and emitting clouds of smoke. We can neither sleep nor smell in a house full of nauseating fumes. The local councillor (ward 90) refuses to act. We have petitioned the mayor, too, without effect. Why can't they shift the furnace near Vivekananda Park'

Residents of Purna Das Road.

Collapse risk

A run-down building which once housed a hospital at Kalibari, in Uluberia, has been taken over by encroachers. More worrying is the fact that the dilapidated structure may come down just about any day. The settlers are unaware of this risk. The local administration should declare the building condemned.

Gautam Dey, Address not given.

On crumbling tracks

A major portion of the recently-repaired tram lines on Elliot Road is again in bad shape. It seems the stretch would require repairs again very soon. If a tram gets derailed, the traffic will come to a standstill. The tram tracks should be maintained properly or else the mode of transport should be done away with.

Zeeshan Roohullah, Royd Lane.