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C O M P E N D I U M Monday, December 13, 1999 |
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The drug abuse problem has become a global challenge today. In recent years, India has become a major consumer of different kind of drugs. This problem is prevalent in all segments of society, particularly adolescents, slum-dwellers and transport workers. The threat of drug abuse has assumed significance on account of rise in intravenous drug use, leading to the spread of HIV/AIDS. A victim of drug abuse/addiction not only causes physical and psychological impairment to his body but also ruins his own family and destroys social relationships. According to studies, most addicts start taking drugs out of sheer curiosity to have fun and pleasure, often under the influence of friends. Some take them to overcome boredom, fatigue, depression or frustration. Lack of affection or love from the immediate family members is also one of the reasons of drug abuse. To check this menace, non-governmental organisations associated with the welfare of society must come forward and initiate awareness and rehabilitation programmes. Moreover, parents and teachers can also play a vital role in conquering this menace by keeping themselves interested in their childrens activities and by sharing their problems with responsibility. Sanjay Khurana Welcome step Apropos of Greenery and grandeur put to the sword (Chandigarh Tribune December 3, 1999), I fail to understand what greenery and grandeur your correspondent is talking about. Even the most cursory of glances around would have revealed only a few, randomly and sparsely planted shrubs of bougainvillaea. Their sick and straggly remains are unkempt, half-shrivelled and nearly dried. These bougainvillaea shrubs that are being presently maintained on the road dividers are an impractical and dangerous idea. Plants demand frequent watering, manuring and hoeing to have a luxuriant growth to be able to serve purposefully as hedges and be effective as road-dividers. Besides, as bougainvillaea grow quite fast, they constantly require regular trimming. Their maintenance being very labour-intensive, these appear unsuitable for the purpose in the present context. By nature it is thorny. If there is delay in trimming it, its vagrant/wanton branches pose a risk of hitting, especially scooterists on the face/in the eyes and thus can cause serious accidents. Last year, in its effort to cut down on the number of road accidents, the Chandigarh Administration put up barbed wire on the road-divider in front of the sabzi mandi. It was trying to dissuade people from darting across Madhya Marg. It took unscrupulous elements just a day or so to uproot the stakes that were erected to put up the wire. Then the authorities experimented with erecting iron grills on the road-divider from the transport intersection to the railway bridge crossing. It was a huge relief as far as commuters are concerned because the risk of accidents was substantially reduced. That the Chandigarh Administration has finally woken up to the reality and recently undertaken to make Madhya Marg safer by erecting iron grills on the road divider is indeed laudable. It is therefore, difficult to understand why your correspondent has criticised the Administration for showing concern for the masses in this regard. After all, is it hard to imagine the number of lives that will be safeguarded by erecting the grill along the road-divider? So many lives are needlessly lost on this busy road everyday, just because someone darts across it all of a sudden. The good work should be extended along the full length of the road. Smart card The Chandigarh Administration has decided to computerise the UT Registering and Licensing Authority Department. It is a good move that will save precious time of public and make the process fast, transparent and efficient. It will be done by Smart Card, containing digital data about the licence holder and the vehicle. Chandigarh will be the second area in India after Gujarat to introduce this hi-tech scheme. |
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