Road-hog pandals (Puja’s gain is road’s pain, September 8) are a common sight in our city. Traffic is increasing everyday but road space is not being developed proportionately. Pandals encroaching on road space further add to the misery of commuters. Every Puja, this is a problem we face and live with.
Indranil Sanyal,
Kali Bari Lane, Dhakuria
I live in Jorabagan and to reach my college at Chingrihata on the EM Bypass, I have to cross Ultadanga. Road-hog pandals have led to massive traffic jams on the Khanna cinema-Ultadanga stretch of Aurobinda Sarani. I have had to leave home at least half an hour earlier to avoid getting late.
Resham Das
Pandals that encroach on road space are a menace for pedestrians.
Ankit Chakraborty,
Lichubagan
The greenery of several parks is destroyed because of pandals. New Alipore Triangular Park is a case in point.
A concerned Calcuttan
Fire check
The article Blaze bares basics ignored in building (September 3) should be a wake-up call for all departments involved. The area where I live (Gariahat, Hindusthan Park, Purna Das Road) has seen a boom in multi-storey buildings. I wonder if these buildings have adequate fire safety arrangements and shudder to think what would happen in case of an emergency.
Krishanu Chakrabarti
Faulty wiring and tapping of power are common causes of short-circuit in old buildings. Chatterjee International is no different.
A.S. Mehta
Surfing can certainly be promoted on the Hooghly (Rush of ride on hungry Hooghly tide, September 6) but one wonders if the government has the inclination to do so because it would require out-of-the-box thinking and quick implementation. Cleanliness of ghats and the river are of importance too.
Anupam Deb,
Nowdapara Uttarayan Sarani
With the alarming pollution levels of the Hooghly, it doesn’t qualify for any kind of recreation. The river has been reduced to a dumping spot. Only after it is cleaned can it be promoted as a surfing destination.
A Chakraborty,
Khardah
As seen in the picture of Antony Colas and Gaetan Sene in the Metro, aqua-plants float all over the surface of the river. These need to be cleaned.
R. Das
Mind the language
Thanks for bringing up an important but seldom-discussed topic related to medical services in the state (Hospitals nurse an ill, August 30). Most nurses I have seen not only struggle to understand Bengali or Hindi, but they are equally weak in English.
S. Malkhandi
The language barrier of nurses across hospitals is a serious problem,which can invite a dangerous situation for patients.The hospital authorities should take serious steps to resolve the miscommunication before the problem worsens. The caregiver must know the language of the patient he/she is taking care of.
Sujata Malakar
Nurses from other states and their language barrier is indeed a serious problem. My mother was admitted to hospital for chemotherapy. The nurses in attendance were all from outside Bengal.
Prabir Chatterjee
I had undergone a bypass surgery around 15 years ago and have to go for regular check-ups at a hospital on the EM Bypass and my experience left me furious.
Ramesh Jaiswal
I would like to share my experience of a 10-day stay at a hospital on the Bypass in May. Not for once did I have a problem in communicating with the nurses, the floor or house-keeping staff. I speak English and Hindi and can understand Bengali. Indeed most of the nurses are from the south, very proficient at their job and most can speak fluent English, many speak Hindi and a few speak Bengali. Better nurses or staff would be difficult to find.
Denise Tankha
I read with interest the article, Trashed for good deed (August 18). Littering is common in Calcutta and few people use the bin. But when someone did, he was rebuked! A few days ago I caught a person spitting on the Metro tracks and asked him not to. He turned around and told me when the Metro authorities did not have any problem, why did I? I went to the RPF personnel on duty who told me it was not his job to catch people spitting. I went to the station master at Kalighat but was told he had other issues to look into and was short of manpower. I am a regular Metro commuter and have often seen cleaning staff sweeping the platform and throwing rubbish on the tracks.
Sanjay Agarwal
I am not at all surprised that someone doing a good deed was reprimanded. Metro Railway authorities are resistant to change and that is evident from the fact that they are still not ready to set up washrooms for commuters.
Kalyan Ghosh,
Baishnabghata Patuli Township
Taxi torment
The ongoing stand-off between taxi unions and the government is a cause for concern as it is causing inconvenience to thousands of commuters. I feel a fare hike is necessary. In that, taxi drivers are justified in their demand. But refusal must be dealt with sternly.
Nisheeth Bijawat
Correction
In the story Shout out loud with wordplay, wit, the word “ingenuous” has been used instead of “ingenious”. The error is regretted.
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