Editor,
I read your daily online most of the time on my mobile. Today, I stumbled upon the new mobile friendly version of your site. Congratulations to your team for this change. I believe the new responsive design will bring easy navigation to mobile phone users like me.
Yours etc.,
F Diengdoh,
Via email
Polluters should be punished
Editor,
Recently, there have been several media reports regarding limestone mining in Nongtalang and the recent order of the DC, West Jaintia Hills. In fact normal life in Nongtalang and the adjoining areas is totally and badly affected. Even the land-owners (zamindars) who sold their mines to the miners have conceded to this. But the question here is who are these miners? Are they not humans and don’t they understand the consequences of their actions? The order of the DC was indeed timely and futuristic as it envisages a better future both for the present generation and the next. Such an order should have come up earlier considering the extent of destruction done. As Toki Blah observed in his letter “Guts the need of the day,” (ST June 13, 2013) Jaintia Hills has truly been blessed with an abundance of not just minerals but also natural resources like medicinal herbs, rivers and streams among others. As a nature lover, I am deeply pained at the destruction done by the mining mafia to the forests and water sources which have led to the vanishing of aquatic life as is evident in the case of a small stream ‘Amkharmen’. This stream is located just 1 km away from the Nongtalang Shnongthymmai village. In the last few years we used to catch prawns and crabs there. But now, not a single aquatic life is found even as the colour of the water had changed.
K L Tariang, in his letter “Of administrative courage”, dated (ST June 13, 2013) hinted that there is something amiss at the State level which pushed people to seek the support of the MoEF. As Mr Tariang has suggested there should be a penalty imposed on the miners who have mercilessly destroyed our helpless environment. If, for every offence act, there is a punishment, so why not in this case, when the Forest Act of 1980 was clearly violated in broad daylight?
Yours etc.,
Evan Pohchen,
Gen Secy, Tylli-hun Ke Nongtalang Organisation (TIHKNO)
Mind your capitals!
Editor,
Apropos the article ” Skewed development and illogical democracy” (ST June 13, 2013) it seems the writer has least knowledge of world capitals…. The capital of turkey is ANKARA and not ISTANBUL as published in the newspaper.
Yours etc., ,
Rajesh Swarnakar,
AIWS,
Via email