Editor,
While Covid took a heavy toll on our citizens, we also heard of the sad news of hospitals catching fire. The Meghalaya Assembly building was razed to the ground in winter of 2001 and several Assam type buildings after that. It is unfortunate that so far no one has bothered to do a post-mortem on these fires. The sad news keeps occupying news space. To get some idea, let us begin with a pole fuse used in the 1960s. The fuse is a device made of tin to break the connection when the current is way beyond the permissible limit.
In those years, there were few houses and so in case of accidental use of appliances of huge kilowatts the fuse snaps thereby preventing a fire. A lineman at the sub-station would be informed and would readily come with a ladder to fix a new fuse on that pole ,which is known as an egg fuse because of its shape. With time the population has increased and so has the number of houses. The lineman alone was not adequate to man all the homes. So the pole fuse was fixed in the meter box equipped with a seal and any one tampering with the seal to change the fuse ( what are called kit- kats) was bound to be punished.
But with very little manpower to attend to complaints, the seal became defunct and the meter box turned into a plaything of any person who could use a screwdriver. Wires of vehicles or any electrical appliances, capable of carrying hundreds of amperes get fixed into the kit-kat. And in the event of a short circuit, the cables melt and fire begins to lick the dry heavily painted or oiled beam. The Assam Type buildings with ceilings above the room and with dry clothes and mattress around only add fuel to raging fire. This is the reason why the Assam Type houses are vulnerable.
Sometime ago the central government had advocated the use of MCBs( miniature circuit breakers).If this was used, instead of short-circuit the circuit would break and the switch would automatically go off. Trying to restore the switch with the short-circuit not rectified will cause the switch to go up again. But at times when lightning strikes, then a switching up will automatically happen on the circuit.
The MeECL had once got an order from the Power Ministry to install the MCB in the meter box so that even if internal kit-kats are meddled with, the main one in the meter box will break the circuit and buildings and most important of all lives would be saved. Oxygen ventilators are known to consume high wattage. Hence many of the hospital fires might have been the absence of MCB (costs only Rs 450 each),which during the pre-Covid days might not have been required. If the government could subsidise the cost of the MCB for the benefit of all our poor users of electricity, many lives and buildings will be saved. Of course those who can afford it should not tax this poor government.
Yours etc.,
J Kharmih,
Via email
Afflicted by photophobia
Editor,
Among all the states in India, I am convinced that Meghalaya suffers from the most cases of photophobia where people are sensitive to light. And I am convinced that the vast majority of Meghalayans suffering from this condition are the politicians and the senior bureaucrats.
This observation must be correct as the cars of almost all politicians and senior bureaucrats (oh, how I love the word “senior”) have dark tinted windows and rear windshield glasses. I am sure that this modification has not been made for security reasons. Or for the intent of carrying out nefarious activities within the confines of the car! No, no, this cannot be; unthinkable! These respected people must be suffering from the fear of light! And I thought that this ailment was there only in the capital city of Shillong. But I’m wrong – it has spread to the other districts of the state!
To support my observation further, have you noticed how a majority of this category of respected people shield their eyes with dark glasses day and night? In fact, I won’t be surprised if the first thing that a newly elected MLA does is to buy a pair of dark shades! After all, this seems to be the fashionable thing among those circles, just like part of the attire of the mafia. But they all have got it all wrong, they are outdated. Recent medical research has suggested that the best shades for photophobia folks are pink tinted goggles. This I would love to see!
Since a ruling of the hon’ble Supreme Court strictly prohibits the use of tinted glass in cars, with some exceptions that do not include photophobia, would the Meghalaya DHS, medical research institutions and individual researchers please study this phenomenon in Meghalaya and suggest cures and remedies before other groups in the population are affected with this affliction. Please, I don’t want to wear pink tinted shades!
Yours etc.,
Eugene D. Thomas,
Shillong – 6
Camp: Tura
Wanted a robust agricultural policy
Editor
It’s a great achievement that a woman who has been engaged in cultivation and farming in the rural interiors of Laskein C&RD Block was recently conferred the Padma Shri. This is a true reflection of the hard work of women in Meghalaya who have brought laurels to the State. Kong Trinity Saioo the Padma Shri awardee has been at the forefront in community work by supporting farming households through various agricultural and horticultural activities in collaboration with village dorbars and other developmental agencies as well of the government. The Padma Shri is an honour to the zeal and selflessness of Kong Saioo who ignited the minds of the farming community in West Jaintia Hills by empowering them to set up self help groups. The farmers are usually a neglected lot. Kong Saioo has brought them to the foreground. We need a robust farmer- friendly state policy which is presently lacking. If the State envisions an agricultural policy that is inclusive and progressive it will go a long way in ensuring that the accrued benefits trickle down to the farmers who are the backbone of the economy of Meghalaya.
Yours etc…
Dominic Stadlin Wankhar
Shillong