Scribbled scripts
Sir — The illegibility of doctors’ handwriting is as much a cause for mirth as it is of concern. Poor handwriting can lead to potentially fatal misunderstandings regarding medication, besides being challenging for patients. A Kashmiri man recently found himself in the sorry position of having to run to multiple pharmacies because of the barely legible scribblings on his prescription. This also opens up an avenue for pharmacists to medicate patients at will when they cannot read the doctors’ prescriptions. Perhaps a ‘bridge course’ between doctors and calligraphists is the need of the hour.
Vivek Sinha, Calcutta
Burning issue
Sir — Punjab reported more than 1,200 incidents of stubble burning this Thursday and air quality indices deteriorated to ‘severe’ in parts of Delhi and Haryana (“Choke time”, Nov 17). The fresh round of burning crop residues despite a red alert issued by the Punjab Police in all the districts indicates the need for policy interventions. Stubble burning is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in Delhi in the months of October and November. The state government must work with farmers to formulate policies to remedy this situation.
Tauqueer Rahmani, Mumbai
Sir — A number of factors contribute to the spike in air pollution in Delhi around this time. The primary ones are stubble burning, vehicular density and unregulated construction activities. Instead of being burnt, the stubble should be recycled. Further, there has to be comprehensive action in tackling all factors that cause pollution throughout the year for air quality to improve.
S.S. Paul, Nadia
Sir — The surge in pollution in North India, primarily due to stubble burning, is a cause for concern. Delhi has been shrouded in smog for the past few weeks. The Punjab government’s failure to offer effective solutions for crop residue management is responsible for this situation.
Arshad S.H., Kollam, Kerala
Trust deficit
Sir — While speaking on the occasion of National Press Day in New Delhi, the vice president of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, said that fake news and misinformation have eroded people’s trust in the media. However, even accurate media reports against the government’s policies are usually dismissed as incorrect by the State, further weakening people’s trust. Moreover, several media houses spread fake news to portray the Bharatiya Janata Party in a positive light and to target the Opposition. The BJP must thus be held responsible for eroding people’s trust in the fourth estate.
Kamal Laddha, Bengaluru
Clean the books
Sir — It is heartening that the Securities and Exchange Board of India will continue its legal proceedings against the Sahara group in spite of the recent demise of its former chief, Subrata Roy (“Sebi to settle Sahara refunds”, Nov 17). However, the process of distribution of funds among Sahara’s retail investors and the time this would take need to be disclosed. The entire procedure must be transparent. Roy’s case is also a valuable lesson for businessmen to avoid ponzi schemes.
Bal Govind, Noida
Great nuisance
Sir — Some roads in Calcutta have been plastered with images of gods to prevent men from urinating openly (“Councillors turn to gods to keep city clean”, Nov 15). Despite protests and threats of penalisation, people are frequently found urinating in public places. The acute shortage of well-maintained pay-and-use toilet facilities in Calcutta is to be partially blamed for this.
Kiran Agarwal, Calcutta