French sojourn

Sir — Frankie the flamingo, a four-month-old with a clipped wing, was expected to remain safely in her enclosure in Cornwall. Instead, she pulled off a stunning escape. While her keepers searched across the region and even chased a white stork, Frankie calmly crossed the Channel and took a stroll on a French beach. Bringing her home now is nearly impossible thanks to strict post-Brexit wildlife rules and the risk of bird flu. This episode has left her keepers worried, but Frankie appears to be enjoying her unexpected French sojourn. It is remarkable that a young flamingo has managed to cross international borders with more success than many human travellers.

Shreya Basu,
Nainital

Cavalier disregard

Sir — Around 300 shops were gutted after a major fire broke out early on Saturday in Calcutta’s congested Ezra Street. It is fortunate that there are no casualties as all the people staying in the adjoining buildings were evacuated. It is shocking that this high-rise on Ezra Street has been hit by fire incidents 22 times in the past before the latest blaze. This pattern reveals a failure that no city should tolerate. Repeated warnings about illegal construction and the absence of safety measures were ignored. The latest inferno spread quickly, burned hundreds of shops, and kept firefighters busy for hours. Residents watched their livelihoods turn to ash. Authorities must explain why urgent complaints produced no meaningful response. Calcutta cannot keep learning about fire safety through tragedies.

Annesha Ghosh,
Calcutta

Sir — The repeated fires on Ezra Street show how long-term neglect leads to predictable disasters. The local councillor’s letters to the civic authorities were allegedly ignored. These were direct alerts about hazardous construction and poor safety systems. The warnings were clearly accurate. The consequences of ignoring them are now visible in charred buildings and the faces of devastated shopkeepers. A city that prides itself on its heritage must protect its old markets with better oversight. Responsibility must be shared, but accountability for this incident must begin with those who received clear complaints but did not act on them.

Kamal Laddha,
Bengaluru

Sir — Locals of Ezra Street have alleged that the fire brigade was late to the scene of the fire. This raises troubling questions. The fire erupted before sunrise, yet flames were still raging well into the afternoon. Residents spoke of empty water tanks and confused firefighting on narrow lanes. These are not minor operational glitches. These are structural weaknesses. Burrabazar is congested, and the fire department knows this better than anyone. A modern city needs response systems that do not collapse under the very conditions they were designed to handle.

P. Victor Selvaraj,
Chennai

Sir — The loss suffered by hundreds of shop owners on Ezra Street deserves more than sympathetic visits and words from politicians. These are small businesses stacked with inventory bought on credit, stored in cramped godowns, and protected by little more than hope. The lack of fire safety in this part of the city has been an open secret for years. The latest blaze has exposed the true scale of the risk. Authorities must begin inspections that are thorough, regular, and free from political theatre.

Gregory Fernandes,
Mumbai

Sir — The rapid spread of the fire on Ezra Street shows how dangerous unregulated storage can be. Electrical goods, plywood, and wiring were packed into tiny spaces that acted like kindling. Fire officials admitted that these materials accelerated the blaze. This should prompt a serious review of what warehouses are permitted to store in such neighbourhoods. Markets cannot function as vertical tinderboxes. Safety rules exist for a reason, and ignoring them turns every spark into a potential catastrophe.

Sreemoy Ghosh,
Calcutta

Sir — The official statements after the Ezra Street fire were filled with standard assurances, but the event demands measurable action. Investigations will take time, yet everyone already knows the underlying problems: unauthorised additions, blocked access routes, and no effective safety infrastructure. Residents and business owners want clarity more than rhetoric. A transparent timeline for inspections, structural audits, and penalties for violations would show that lessons have been learned. The city owes that much to those who now stand before the ruins of their livelihoods.

Sagar Chakraborty,
Calcutta

Meals on wheels

Sir — Train passengers may soon see well-known food companies at railway stations after the Railway Board cleared a new category for premium brand catering outlets. This change reflects a shift in how stations are imagined. Travellers now expect cleaner spaces, predictable food quality and some assurance of hygiene. The plan seems straightforward, but the real test lies in execution. Stations vary widely in layout and footfall. A thoughtful assessment of demand and space will decide whether these outlets improve travel.

Iftekhar Ahmed,
Calcutta