Lost cheer
Sir — There was a time when the sky on Vishwakarma Puja was packed with the colour and the swish of the manja cutting through the wind. Those days were part sport, part festival, and entirely unforgettable. With rains dragging out till Durga Puja, such sights and sounds are now rare. Reports say that kite-sellers are facing a disappointing season as the lack of steady sunshine has left them with fewer kites and poorer quality thread. Traders have reported losses of up to 45%, with paper kites losing ground to plastic ones. But it is not just weather that plays spoilsport. Kite flying was a community activity with playful competitions across neighbouring terraces. Our boxed-up lives inside gated communities are not conducive to such bonhomie anymore.
Tiyasa Mukherjee,
Calcutta
Root cause
Sir — The recent landslides in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh highlight, once again, how vulnerable hilly regions are to extreme rainfall. The science is clear: when moist air is forced to rise along steep slopes, the clouds that form are massive and dangerous. Heavy rainfall that is manageable in coastal regions becomes a disaster in the mountains. If governments continue to ignore basic geography in their planning, settlements will remain at risk. It is time disaster preparedness stopped being a seasonal discussion and became a permanent policy priority.
A.G. Rajmohan,
Andhra Pradesh
Sir — It is tempting to blame every extreme rainfall event on climate change but Himalayan states have faced cloudbursts for centuries. The real shift lies in where people now live and how roads and towns are built. Entire hillsides are stripped of vegetation, riverbeds are narrowed with construction, and fragile slopes are loaded with hotels. In such conditions, even normal rainfall can have devastating consequences. Climate change is a factor, but human negligence in land use is turning weather into disaster.
Ireima Imsong,
Imphal
Sir — Meteorologists point to the southward shift of western disturbances and their clash with monsoon systems for the precarious situation in the Himalayan foothills. This interaction produces unpredictable, intense rainfall events. This scientific reality calls for better forecasting and more investment in early warning systems. The technology already exists; what lags is political will. If villages can be warned of cloudbursts or slope failures in advance, lives can be saved even if property cannot. The obsession with disaster relief must give way to a stronger culture of prevention and preparedness in Himalayan states.
Fateh Najamuddin,
Lucknow
Success story
Sir — The recent survey of saltwater crocodiles in the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve is a notable advance for conservation in India. The census indicates a rise in overall numbers and demographic diversity, implying an ecological success that is also a marker of how wildlife law and conservation policy are gradually moving beyond their fixation with a handful of charismatic species, including the tiger and the elephant. The crocodile is hardly a creature to inspire affection. Yet its return shows that when the law is applied with patience and projects such as the Bhagabatpur hatchery are supported, less glamorous species can also thrive. As an apex predator, the crocodile cleans rivers and regulates prey, making it as vital as any national symbol. The point is simple: conservation should not be dictated by charisma. If crocodiles can rebound, so can other reptiles and amphibians, provided we stop treating them as expendable.
Haran Chandra Mandal,
Calcutta
Sir — The census of saltwater crocodiles in the Sundarbans is both cheering and sobering. Numbers are up, hatchlings are being seen, and the food web still works despite human encroachment. Yet the delta remains fragile. Salinity is rising, erosion is narrowing mangrove niches, and freshwater flows are dwindling. The crocodile is remarkably tolerant but other reptiles and amphibians are not. If India wishes to build on this success, it must extend recovery planning beyond the obvious megafauna, anticipate the effects of climate change, and finance real refuges for more sensitive species.
Indranil Sanyal,
Calcutta
Retail concerns
Sir — Walking along the footpaths full of hawkers in Gariahat gives the vivid sense that India’s festive season remains very much alive. The recent cuts in goods and services tax are supposed to offer more disposable income which could lift sales of electronics, cars, appliances before Diwali. But Bengali businessmen are suffering as the reduced rates only come into effect a week before the Durga Puja. Many consumers seem to be delaying purchases until the new tax regime kicks in, which has led to sluggish sales of apparel, footwear and other big-ticket items in the past few weeks.
Bidisha Das,
Calcutta
Sir — Festive shopping remains more than a commercial exercise; it is connected with family and tradition. The joy of giving still carries emotional weight. But modern commercial forces are shaping those impulses in new ways. E-commerce players crowd the calendar with mega-sales that blur the lines between ritual and consumption. Consumers may buy things they neither need nor will use just to catch a deal.
Koustabh Sengupta,
Calcutta
Original taste
Sir — The Amritsari kulcha is more than food; it is part of the city’s identity. A Geographical Indication tag would help preserve authenticity and ensure that the name is not diluted by substandard imitations. Branding the kulcha formally could also bring recognition to the small eateries and family businesses that have sustained its legacy for generations.
Brij B. Goyal,
Ludhiana