Roundabouts or death traps?
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 24 — "If it is not an open toilet, it is no less than an open bathroom," is how residents of sectors 44 and 45 describe the roundabout dividing the sectors.

Labourers bathe, wash clothes and take water for domestic chores from one of the water mains, which has been punctured on the island of this ill-maintained roundabout.

This is not an isolated case of neglect, but is symbolic of the pitiable condition of all roundabouts in the southern or Phase II and III sectors of the city. None of the roundabouts in the southern sectors have been adopted by any industrial or business house or any other institution for beautification.

The roundabouts are a shambles. For example, the initial earth filling has been left incomplete at one of the roundabouts.

Unlike intersections in northern or Phase I sectors, which people and their families frequent for relaxation in the evening during summer months, because of the beautiful landscape and proper upkeep, those in southern sectors are virtual death traps.

All main services, including water mains, sewerage and storm water drainage, criss-cross roundabouts in southern sectors. One can imagine the herculean task city planners and engineers will face when they decide to replace these rotaries with traffic lights, as is being gradually done in Phase I sectors.

Obnoxious-looking brick and mortar chambers of water supply lines or sewerage lines dot these roundabouts. No one pays attention any more to those levelled and maintained initially. While marigolds or gainda flowers are in full bloom elsewhere in the city, those grown at these roundabouts are rotting, dry and decaying.

The mowing is irregular. Flower beds are seldom cleared of weeds and grass. In some of the newly completed roundabouts, the earth filling is yet to be started. The situation is bad on outer Dakshin Marg and the V-3 road running through sectors 40 to 47. The central verges of these roundabouts are seldom repaired even after these are damaged in road accidents.

Regiment with nerves of steel
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 24 — All eyes are fixed at a tiny speck hovering 7,000 feet above ground level. For the next 20 seconds — which seemed like 20 minutes — there is nothing else but a clear blue sky broken by intermittent puffs of clouds. And then to the applaud of spectators and whoops of joy from children, the sky is filled with bright blue parachutes as six para-commandoes sail gracefully through the air to make textbook perfect landings in the middle of the Sector 17 Parade Ground.

But behind the skill and grace lies a tough, gruelling regimen. A regimen which requires nerves of steel and physical stamina to match.

For these men from the Army's Special forces, forearming to face unknown challanges and battle undetermined odds is second nature.

Every officer who volunteers for the Parachute Regiment (Para) is put on a three-month probation to test his aptitude and mettle before he is allowed to wear the coveted maroon beret — vitrually a universal symbol for airborne forces. Then begins the real work of moulding ''the soldier's soldier''.

After learning rolls and landing techniques, the first jump from an aircraft is done from 1250 feet. This is called a ''static'' jump as the parachute opens automatically. The basic para course requires five jumps, after which the paratrooper is authorised to wear ''wings'' above his right tunic pocket.

In the Special Forces, for further training there is an option of free fall sky diving or under water scuba diving — both means of infiltrating into enemy territory on covert missions.

The gruelling course requires trainees to make at least 50 jumps from altitudes up to 22,500 feet. For jumps from 12,000 feet and above oxygen mask is required. Free fall is normally done for 5,000 feet — the distance covered in about a minute. Semi free fall jumps, which requires opening parachutes just five seconds after jumping out, are also practised.

The first few seconds when a paratrooper jumps out are very crucial because that is when the fall has to be stabilised. Any mistake could cause the body to go into an uncontrollable spin and results in a blackout.

As the parachute snaps open, the body experiences a force of minus 20 'g' for a fraction of a second. This is because during a free fall, the rate of descent is 200 feet per second, which slows down to as low as 15 feet per second when the chutes open.

An inverted triangle with a paratrooper jumping from an aircraft worn on their breast pocket distinguishes them as sky divers.

By using the High Altitude Parachute Penetration System, using special highly manaeuverable parachutes, para-commandos can ''glide'' forward by as much as 50 km. This means that they can be dropped from an aircraft flying in friendly territory and glide virtually undetected into enemy territory.