Dhaaki deluge turns music into misery

Durga puja without drum beats is unthinkable. But, the dhaakis who congregate every year for a couple of days at the Hazra-Kalighat Road crossing, create a stupendous din. It makes life miserable for the residents and shop-keepers in the area. Apart from the noise, they also contribute to the traffic snarls by blocking a part of the road. The Pollution Control Board and the Calcutta Police should seriously look into the matter. Perhaps, a secluded, non-residential area, could be earmarked for this yearly stopover of the dhaakis.

Sunil Garodia,
Sushil Sen Road.

Festive cover for illegal work

A long public holiday like the puja vacation is the opportune period for unauthorised constructions to come up. Some unscrupulous people wait for such days so that they can start building illegal houses and shops much to the inconvenience of the residents of the area. The Calcutta Municipal Corporation inspectors are also on leave during pujas. I appeal to the Corporation to draw up a plan to watch out for such discrepancies during public holidays and take necessary action.

Rabindranath Kar,
Sankar Ghosh Lane.

Sweet wrap for fake flavours

Sweets are indispensable in pujas which is why their sales pick up during the festive period. However, many small-scale sweet manufacturers use harmful colours and flavours in them to lower the production cost and make more profit. The Corporation's health officers should carry out surprise inspections at the sweet-making workshops during pujas.

B.N. Bose,
Dum Dum.

Screen seating

I watched the shows at the Indo-British Digital Film Festival, held at Seagull Arts and Media Resource Centre, on three days between October 4 and 9. I observed that the distance between the screen and where the audience was seated is very less. Many had to leave the three-hour show midway because they found it taxing on their eyes. Perhaps, it would not have mattered as much if the duration of the show was half of what it was. Can the authorities modify the seating arrangement a little to make the viewing more comfortable?

Prantik Sanyal,
S.P. Mukherjee Road.

Trek to post mail, in jet age

Residents of Manasbhumi, near the airport, have to trek a long distance to Italgacha sub post office to post letters as there is not a single letterbox in their area. It would be appreciated if the postal authorities put up a letterbox in the area. The premises of Sarnamayee School would be the ideal location as it can be accessed by most residents of Manasbhumi area.

Prahlad Agarwala,
Majdia, Nadia.