Reader’s Mail (Tirunelveli)

April 26, 2016 12:00 am | Updated 05:48 am IST

Artificial ripening

Mango season has begun. As the demand for mango is high in May, June and July, sellers adopt artificial ripening.

A customer cannot easily differentiate between a naturally ripened mango and an artificially ripened fruit.

Consuming mangoes that are artificially ripened using calcium carbide, a known carcinogen, causes serious health hazards, including diarrhoea, irritation in mouth, nose and throat and also peptic ulcer.

Though the use of chemical is banned under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations 2011, wholesalers, retailers and small traders continue to use calcium carbide.

In the interest of the public, mango godowns should be periodically checked by food safety officials and the government should frame strict rules and regulations to ban the sale of artificially ripened mangoes and other fruits.

P. Victor Selvaraj,

Palayamkottai.

Roadside fish stalls

Laying of two-lane between Mullakadu and Kamaraj College is in progress in Thoothukudi. On completion of blacktopping of this stretch, makeshift fish stalls have come up again between Abirami Nagar and Spic Nagar.

These stalls are a hindrance to free flow of traffic. An unbearable smell emanates from these stalls and the waste is left on the periphery of the road itself.

This attracts stray dogs The Thoothukudi Corporation can build a permanent fish market and shift all these stalls.

J. Edison Devakaram,

Tuticorin.

Footpath on Court Road

The Court Road in Nagercoil is a busy stretch with incessant flow of vehicles in both ways. Unfortunately, the road has no proper footpath from the court to Duthie School.

On the southern side, the footpath is either too narrow or used as parking lot.

The footpath in front of SLB School is huge but could not be used. One has to cross the parking lot to go to the footpath.

If the footpath is reduced the road will become wide. The condition of northern side is still worse as there is no proper footpath in this side. Stones and building debris scatted on the way prevent pedestrians from using the so called footpath.

In the northern side of the road, there are many big commercial outlets. In front of many shops, one can find steps and extravagantly formed ramps which are used for loading and unloading. This forces pedestrians to use the narrow and congested road.

Will the authorities take immediate steps to provide proper footpath for pedestrians?

B. Nagalingam Pillai,

Thazhakudy.

Thoothukudi airport

Establishing an airport in Kanyakumari district will be a great service to tourists and migrant workers in the Gulf countries.

If the construction of a new airport within 150 km of an existing airport at Thiruvananthapuram is a constraint, upgradation of the Thoothukudi airport as international airport is vital.

The airport at Thoothukudi with a small runway and a parking space for one small aircraft can handle only a maximum of 75 passengers at a time.

If it is modernised and upgraded as an international airport, it will have a huge potential for passenger traffic and for cargo transhipment.

It will also be of great use to the Indian Air Force, Coast Guard, ISRO and the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant personnel.

G. Stanley Jeyasingh,

Nagercoil.

Jawahar Ground

The Jawahar Ground near Mahatma Gandhi Market is situated at an ideal location in Palayamkottai and a boon to people.

On the western side, there is a flower bazaar and on the east are eateries. Political meetings are conducted here.

But the utility of the ground is very limited as it serves the purpose of parking vehicles.

No fee is levied by the Corporation for parking the vehicles. The ground is also used by passersby for urination.

I request the Corporation authorities to take control of the Jawahar Ground.

A portion of the vast area could be used as a pay-and-use parking slot for two-wheelers of market-goers.

E. Rajakumar Arulanandham,

Palayamkottai.

Stop at bus stand

In Kanyakumari district, Marthandam and Kaliyakkavilai are two important places.

All the buses between Nagercoil and Thiruvananthapuram ply through Marthandam and Kaliyakkavilai.

Many of these buses do not enter the bus stand in these two places.

Instead, they halt at the Marthandam junction and on the main stretch close to Kaliyakkavilai bus stand.

As a result, there are traffic problems in these areas.

Therefore, I request the authorities to take urgent steps to instruct the bus crew of the Nagercoil-Thiruvananthapuram buses to halt at the Marthandam and Kaliakkavilai bus stands.

P. Senthil Saravana Durai,

Vazhavallan.

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