Clear Tangri bed

The news item “People living on Tangri river bed....” (July 19) raises a pertinent issue for the people of Ambala and neighbouring villages who are under a constant threat of flashfloods due to blatant encroachment of the Tangri river bed and resulting narrowing and squeezing of rivers. A large number of illegal houses, godowns, workshops etc have come up in the area in the last few years, thanks to the negligence and connivance of the Irrigation and Country and Town Planning Departments, Municipal Corporation. Were these departments were sleeping when 1,700 families were building their homes there? A large number of migrant labourers from other states as well as illegal migrants from Bangladesh have settled there. Recently, somebody constructed a boundary wall in the middle of the river bed which is visible from the Tangri bridge near Mahesh Nagar, Ambala Cantt. By just putting notices, the government department cannot wash its hands of the responsibility to keep river bed intact and free from encroachment. There should be a regular vigil and check to stop encroachments. 

VINAY K MALHOTRA, Ambala Cantt

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Save Shimla

This has reference to the news item “Bonanza for violators....” The HP Government plans to regularise the unauthorised structures without imposing any compounding fee or submission of building plans. The violators are having their last laugh. The law-abiding citizens who get their house plans sanctioned feel cheated. If the unauthorised buildings are to be regularised in this manner, where is the need to have the Town and Country Planning Department? Shimla town is full of concrete buildings.

SURJIT SINGH, Shimla

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Katora thirsty

Katora village and its adjoining villages of Jawali tehsil subdivision lack drinking water supply. The Himachal Pradesh Government and its IPH Department must take action in this regard since for more than a week, the villagers have not got drinking water. The IPH division blames the incoming  silt in the rivers from where water is lifted. As a result, the water is muddy and not fit for drinking. But this problem needs a permanent solution. As the rainy season has set in, the problem will continue for some months. The alternative water resources in the village too have exhausted and are insufficient.

ASHOK S GULERIA, Nagrota Surian (Kangra)

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No flight to Gaggal 

There is no flight from Gaggal (Kangra) to Chandigarh, affecting the residents of Kangra, Dharamshala, Jawalaji and its adjoining areas as well as tourism. The Chandigarh-Kangra Valley roads are not in very good condition due to the hilly terrain. The Dharamshala Cricket Stadium has been hosting  international matches, but still there is no air connectivity even with Chandigarh. If not daily, flights are needed thrice a week. 

H/Capt Jagdish Verma, Narola (Sarkaghat)

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Santa-Banta okay

The news report “4 more weeks for Santa-Banta curbs” (July 13) is rather amusing. Humour and laughter is a universal emotion that every individual enjoys and no rancour, evil or sinister motive can be attributed to genuine laughter. Sikhs are a great community, known for their large-heartedness, bravery and valour, penchant for hard work, community service and a tendency to enjoy a belly-full of laughter. There are any number of jokes on Haryanvis, Punjabis, Tamilians, Bengalis, Maulvis, Pandas, Brahmins etc and no one is the worse for it. They make life more interesting and add mirth to the dull and drab humdrum of life. There is no room for the majesty of law to restrict our right to laugh and be laughed at.

MK BAJAJ, Zirakpur 

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Funny bone missing

The Supreme Court has given some time to the Sikh religious bodies to suggest guidelines to curb Sikh jokes. Strange. Are we living in a secular or theocratic state? Who would the court ask if it had to regulate jokes on banias, Bongs, jats, Pandits and so on, if some zealots who did not let their 'funny bone' grow objected?

BALViNDER, Chandigarh

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Tech to blame

This is apropos the socially relevant write-up "Technology affects love life" (July 10). How very true! One of the negative effects of the technological revolution in recent times can be observed in the steep rise in divorce rates. This surely happens due to the exposure of romantic link-ups through mobile chatting, e-mails, FB either preceding or proceeding marriage. Technology provides detailed access to a partner's social interactions. It leads to counter-questioning and spying on each other. It creates suspicion and culminates in romantic insecurity or break-up. The family has to pay a heavy price in the form of marital discord, all due to invasion into privacy by these gadgets.

Anita Kataria, Patiala

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Villages on sale

Apropos the very touching editorial "Village on sale" (July 9), the hollowness of the SAD-BJP government was evident when residents of five villages of the Deputy CM's constituency of Jalalabad put banners saying their land and home is for sale because it is not in their reach to sustain life and they want to sell whatever they have had since generations. This is the biggest slap on the face of democracy and the politicians governing Punjab. We see every day  advertisements in newspapers in which the Punjab Government paints a very rosy picture of its development. But a reality check gives a contrasting and 'Dirty Picture’. An ugly face cannot be covered with cosmetic treatment. A similar picture is there in other villages. 

Capt Amar Jeet Kumar, Mohali 

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Clarification

The High Commissioner of Britain to India, Sir Dominic Asquith, has clarified that in his interview to The Tribune headlined "Britain is actively engaging with the world" (July 16), he had said, in absolute numbers, Britain issued 4.5 lakh visas to Indians. This was an increase of 13 per cent over the previous year. The names of companies interested in project management and design opportunities in India are WS Atkins and Mott McD. He clarified that the Brexit vote on June 23 was not for insularism or was inward looking. On seed potatoes, he had said the best came from Scotland and the Netherlands also produces good potatoes. But he did not mention the US. He also said Punjab had an unsatisfactory experience with a country and that he didn't use the phrase artificial insemination.

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