Bovine takeover
of the bridge
A herd of stray cattle (cow, calf) stay put on the bridge in Melacauvery area in Kumbakonam. The hinder traffic going towards Swamy Malai and Palakkarai area. This has become an every day affair with stray cattle deciding to take over the bride at night. The traffic police posted on the three-road junction in front of the TASMAC liquor outlet turn look the other way. The pilgrims visiting shrines along the river such as those of Varadharajaperumal, Hayagreevar, Anjaneyar, and Cauvery Amman temple are put to hardship. The municipal administration should take steps to clear the stray cattle.
M. Baluswamy,
Kumbakonam
Erratic power
supply in Karur
There is a proverb “early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”. In Karur District, erratic power supply is forcing people to spend sleepless nights. With a majority of the middle class homes fitted with UPS, there is no mass movement against this. I appeal to the government to take steps to ensure stable power supply at night so that workers who slog the whole day at various textile units in Karur district get at least a good night’s sleep.
N. Balakrishnan,
Karur
Town bus service
discontinued
The town bus service on route nos. 5, 56, 36, plying between Kumbakonam and Papanasam, Kumbakonam and Athampangudi and Kumbakonam and Needamangalam respectively has been discontinued stopped abruptly causing much inconvenience to the commuters who have to depend on mofussil buses which are jam-packed. While town buses plying in other routes are not disturbed, why the carrot and stick policy is adopted by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation defies reason. The repeated appeals of the people have fallen on deaf ears of transport authorities. It is imperative on the part of the corporation authorities to revive the same bus services on the above routes so that people need not undergo trials and tribulations.
R. Pichumani,
Thippirajapuram
Save the pond
at Manojipatti
The pond on the way to Manojipatti near the medical college main entrance is under disuse. Several years ago, the pond was full of water during rainy season. The collection of rainwater helped maintain the water level in the surrounding areas. But now the pond has become a dump yard for construction debris where heavy vehicles are parked haphazardly. Earlier, a few years ago the pond near flyover was converted into a parking lot for lorries. In due course, groundwater would get depleted. I request the municipal authorities to direct the TWAD board to stop dumping of garbage, remove silt, and revive the pond.
S. Baskaran
Thanjavur
Repair signal lights
In the roundabout at Ramanathan Hospital, Thanjavur, the traffic lights never function. It is highly difficult for everyone as the traffic has increased these days. I am a differently abled and have recently learned to drive a retrofit car. It is difficult for people like me to drive safely. The authorities may kindly look into this and make the traffic lights function.
G. Kalpana,
Thanjavur
Replace reflectors
The reflectors in highways, especially on Tiruchi-Thanjavur National Highway, are not working properly. This rainy season, to drive at night is becoming difficult as the road is not visible because of lack of reflectors. Earlier, the highway used to be well lit at night, making it easier to drive. But the reflectors are maintained properly now a days. Because of this, the number of accidents is increasing. The authorities, who are maintaining the highways, are requested to consider this issue at the earliest to prevent accidents.
V. Shanmukha Priya,
Thanjavur
Clean bus stand
I was about to board the bus to go to Koradachery from Kumbakonam on the morning of November 2 from moffussil bus stand. Bus stand was not at all cleaned. I appeal to the authorities to clean the debris.
S. Krishnamurthy,
Kumbakonam
RWH tanks turn dustbins
The tanks built under the Rainwater Harvesting System in many buildings and houses have become dustbins. In some cases, the channels for routing the water are blocked with soil and waste. The RWH facilities at some government buildings and offices are not maintained properly. The water filtering systems at most places are inappropriate. As the northeast monsoon has set in, the government should take steps to renovate the scheme and ensure that RWH systems function at all buildings throughout the State.
A. Haja Abdul Khader,
Adirampattinam
Aadhar out
of fear
This refers to the report “93 per cent of adults have voluntarily taken Aadhar: UIDAI ( The Hindu , October 31). In the absence of an Act of Parliament on Aadhar project setting forth the objectives and conditions for enrolment and punishment for abuse of data, it may be assumed that the people enrol but out of fear that they might lose social benefits. As reported in your newspaper, the former Prime Minister promised several benefits to the people of Tembhili in Maharashtra in September 2010 under Aadhar project while launching it personally in the presence of other dignitaries.
Free electricity meter was given to every home and the whole village wore a festive look on the occasion. Soon, electricity meters were withdrawn and the poor were denied loan by banks and it was back to square one. According to Nandan Nilekani, who heads the UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) Aadhar is an “open architecture’, that is, applications can be thought up as business grows: there are no limits or contours within which it should be used. As there is ‘information sharing consent’ in the enrolment form similar to the conditions for registering for the use of the portal Facebook, the UIDAI is free to share the data with any interested party or organization for a price. Creation of National Information Utilities mentioned without explanation in the budget proposals of March, 2012, it is feared, may be used for this purpose. Do we have a law in place to protect the data? The Parliamentary Committee’s warning about ignoring the global experiences such as the rejection of a similar project in U.K. and other advanced countries on the ground that it is based on fallacious technology and there are risks to the safety of citizens has been brushed aside. The powerful investment lobby and business press appear to be keen to promote Aadhar at any cost. In the circumstances, the move to focus on enrolment of children who are too young to give “information sharing consent” is a matter of concern, indeed.
K. Natarajan,
Thanjavur
Widen road
Reaching Thanjavur old bus stand from Nagapattinam Road has become very difficult. From Punnainallur Mariamman Koil to Tholkappiar Sathukam, the road is congested. To avoid this congestion, the existing road on the northern side of the lake between Mariamman Koil and Maharnombuchavadi may be widened and may be made an alternative road to reach Thanjavur old bus stand. This will be useful for people coming from Keelavasal side. I appeal to the authorities concerned to consider this.
R. Sivakumar,
Poondi
