Heritage tag burden on crumbling edifices

The central and state governments should change the criteria on which any building gets the heritage tag. A building should be declared a heritage structure only if the owner or the government is willing to bear the cost of its maintenance. A number of heritage structures in Calcutta, like the old mint on Strand Road , are in a deplorable condition due to lack of proper maintenance. Such buildings should be allowed to be dismantled if restoration is not possible and the plot used for other purposes. The state government or the Corporation should frame proper rules on the use of the cleared plot. This will ensure that the land is not grabbed by unscrupulous promoters for their own profit.

Raj Bagri, Ho Chi Minh Sarani.

Green belt for healthy city

The state government should develop a green belt in the city and its suburbs to better maintain the ecological balance. They should develop parks and gardens in urban areas which can be used for morning and evening walks. Our city is chock-a-block with constructions. Now, with more highrises coming up we will have fewer gardens and parks for recreational purposes.

Amit V. Sengupta, Sarat Colony.

Awareness is the key

Solving the traffic problem in Calcutta is the most difficult task for the traffic authorities. People just do not follow road rules and meet with fatal accidents. Two-wheelers, cycles and autorickshaws are quite careless and add to the chaos on roads. I request the transport authorities to educate people about traffic rules.

Shiv Shanker Almal, Lower Rawdon Street.