Letters to the EDITOR: Safety and completion of NHs in Assam

Safety and completion of NHs in Assam

Through your esteemed daily columns, I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the current state of the National Highway network in Assam and the Northeastern region. While the state has witnessed the rapid expansion of four-lane national highways in recent years, a closer examination reveals significant shortcomings, particularly in terms of passenger safety and infrastructure completion. The initiative to develop four-lane national highways was introduced during the first NDA government under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Despite this early start, Assam lags behind other states in mainland India, which now boast extensive networks of four-lane and even six-lane highways. Alarmingly, not a single stretch of the national highways in Assam can be deemed complete. Toll-paying stretches are marred by potholes, defective joints, and uneven surfaces, creating hazardous conditions for motorists. Moreover, modern highways are expected to have adequate foliage cover, toilet blocks, first-aid facilities, and highway patrol vehicles. However, in Assam, travellers are forced to pay tolls without receiving these essential services. This discrepancy points to a glaring neglect by both central agencies like NHIDCL and NHAI and by our elected representatives, who have failed to advocate for the completion of highway construction and the provision of necessary amenities. The Jorhat-Sivasagar stretch highlights the inefficiency of agencies like NHIDCL and NHAI, as well as the neglect by elected representatives. The absence of warning and diversion signs on highways under construction endangers travellers, leading to frequent accidents. One of the most critical issues is the lack of warning signs on national highways, especially those under construction. The absence of such signs poses a severe threat to travellers' lives, leading to frequent accidents. Additionally, in areas where construction is ongoing, diversion signs are often missing, contributing to the chaos and danger on these roads. It is imperative that the Prime Minister intervene to ensure the proper completion of highway projects and the implementation of necessary safety measures. I urge the relevant authorities and our elected representatives to prioritize the completion of highway projects, enhance safety measures, and provide the facilities that travellers rightfully deserve. The people of Assam deserve a reliable and safe transportation network. Immediate action is needed to prevent further accidents and to support economic development.

Sabina Ahmed

Sivasagar

JJM anomalies at Chirang PHE

Through your esteemed daily, we would like to draw the kind attention of the concerned authorities towards irregularities at the Office of the Executive Engineer, Public Health Engineering (PHE) Kokrajhar Division No. II located at Kajalgaon in Chirang district. A large number of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) schemes are not properly functional and operational and are not getting properly implemented in the district, and the department is giving excuses for a shortage of engineers. It is to be noted that a Technical Officer-I of the Division has been absent for months. No departmental action has been taken against him for his irregularity in his office. As per reports received, initially the officer submitted his resignation due to his personal problems. Later, he withdrew his resignation and continued coming to work for a few days, but suddenly he stopped coming to work. Another assistant engineer is also very irregular in his duties. Also, some engineers got transferred and attached to other divisions, due to which there is a huge shortage of sectional officers in the division to monitor the schemes at the sites. Present engineers working in the division are also not that efficient in improving the picture of JJM in the division. Consequently, beneficiaries are suffering a lot. We, the concerned beneficiaries, demand a high-level probe into the entire irregularities taking place at the division, and it is hoped that the concerned authorities will resolve the issues soon.

Some concerned beneficiaries,

Bijni

Drug residues in chicken and eggs

Through your esteemed daily newspaper, I am writing to bring attention to the overuse of antibiotics in chicken production, which poses a serious health threat. We all need poultry meat and eggs to fulfil the dietary needs of the ever-growing human population. So it necessitates the use of pharmaceutical products, such as antibiotics (both prophylactic and curative), to ensure rapid growth and production. Nevertheless, inappropriate and non-judicious use of these drugs results in the accumulation of toxic and harmful residues in meat and eggs and also creates breeding grounds for resistant bacteria. These resistant bacteria strains are then spread to humans through consumption. This makes it increasingly difficult to treat infections in humans, leading to longer illness, higher healthcare costs, etc., so I urge the poultry industry to adopt strict regulations on judicious antibiotic use in farms and also prioritize public health by developing responsible antibiotic stewardship programmes.

Dr. Palash Dhoni Boro

College of Veterinary Science,

Khanapara, Guwahati