Roads without streetlights

The roads from Zoo Road to Geetanagar towards Narengi have been without streetlights for the past few years, making travelling at night a really difficult task for pedestrians and motorists alike.

The GMDA’s water supply project that is under way in the area has prevented the development of proper roads and installation of streetlights.

Huge pipes are lying on the roadside and one side is closed for construction, yet there are no proper markings on the road. All this makes travelling at night risky.

I request the authorities to install streetlights or repair the existing ones for better visibility at night and for the safety of travellers.

T.S. Barua, Geetanagar, Guwahati

Ban on polythene bags

The Jorhat district administration’s appeal to ban the use of polythene/plastic bags was a welcome move. And people did respond to the appeal, be it out of fear of paying fines or out of genuine concern for the environment.

Artificial floods had caused a lot of trouble at Bongal Pukhuri in Jorhat town in 2011 when polythene and plastic bags choked the gutters. Every thinking citizen appreciated the move and consumers using jute or cotton bags became a familiar sight in town.

However, of late, we have witnessed a tendency to revert to the old ways. A section of the people are still using polythene bags, ignoring all concerns.

Old habits die hard in a society that is notoriously self-centred and myopic.

It is a matter of irony that environmental studies is now a compulsory subject in the university curriculum. The message to students is clear: Just read and clear the exam without bothering to do anything practical and worthwhile.

Subhrajyoti Chanda, Jorhat, Assam

Dilapidated trains

The Kamakhya-Ledo, Kamakhya-Jorhat-Mariani inter-city and the Kamakhya-Dibrugarh Express are the most popular trains of the NF Railway.

However, these trains are running with dilapidated and shabby bogies.

The rakes used are those rejected by other divisions of the Indian Railways and dumped on the NF Railway.

We request Indian Railways and the Railway Board to replace the dilapidated rakes. The Kamakhya-Ledo, Kamakhya-Jorhat-Mariani Inter-city and Kamakhya-Dibrugarh Express should be provided with Janashatabdi-type second class sitting bogies as these trains are always overcrowded.

The cleanliness of these trains should be ensured at Tinsukia, Simaluguri, Mariani, Furkating, Dimapur, Lumding and Chaparmukh, as the cleaning staff at these stations never does its job.

The timings of Kamakhya-Ledo and Kamakhya-Jorhat-Mariani Up Inter-city should be reverted to the previous ones. This will benefit the passengers of Golaghat, Jorhat and Sivasagar districts as the current timings are unsuitable for them.

A few regular passengers — S. Saikia, M. Uzir, D. Kezo, A.B. Goswami, Golaghat