Editor,
Meghalaya is reeling under severe power project deficit and the public at large are at the receiving end as they are deprived of power for hours together in a day. Government states that they are waiting for the rains to come to their rescue so that the Umiam and other waterbodies are filled for power generation. This scenario has been continuing for more than a decade and successive governments have not yet found any other source of power generation, despite having lakhs and lakhs of coal reserve. Why not the Government find some alternative means of power generation like Thermal Power, Solar Power etc. The Govt is more inclined towards export of coal but without looking into the possibility of installing Thermal Plants.
May I once again urge upon the Power Minister and the MeECL that if they are unable to run the plant then they should hand over to renowned corporate houses who are running such plants in other states with 100% success.
Yours etc.,
S.L. Singhania,
Via email
STEMS: a yeomen initiative
Editor
Enough has been discussed on the perennial problem of traffic congestion in Shillong and there is nothing to write home about. However, these discussions remain on paper only and until now we did not see any tangible efforts to address this problem. But of late, the Government of Meghalaya seems to be serious about this problem and a slew of initiatives have been undertaken to address traffic congestion in the city. One such endeavor is called Sustainable Transport and Efficient Mobility Society (STEMS). Incorporated in the form of a society, the project aims to enhance mobility, reduce congestion and reduce harmful vehicular emissions. As a citizen of this painfully congested yet beautiful city, I wholeheartedly welcome this initiative and am sure everyone will do so. As part of this experiment, after an arduous series of discussions and policy decisions, schools buses have been introduced. As parent of school going children, I was curiously following the developments and had long made up my mind to enroll my daughter for the school bus service.
Today is my daughter’s first day of school commute in a school bus, as I write this piece. I am yet to get her feedback regarding her experience but I am sure it would be a pleasurable one. The team at STEMS must be appreciated for their due diligence. They are updating the parents at every stage from enrolment, timings, bus arrival and boarding and de-boarding at school over phone and SMS. The android app is also very user friendly and you can track the bus in real time. The sight of a sparkling new bus, well mannered and uniformed bus staff was ecstatic and I did not have a second thought while she boarded the bus for the first time. Possibly, we cannot expect more. I sincerely hope that their service remains up to that standard for all time to come.
Now, as I find there has not been much publicity about this project, it is my earnest request to the Government that wide publicity be given to this initiative through print and audio visual media. Parents should be encouraged to avail the school bus services. I am sure if even fifty percent of the parents opt for this service, there would be significant reduction in traffic congestion during the peak school hours. As we take part in the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) initiated by Govt of India which also aims to make us Pro Planet people, this could be a huge favour for Mother Earth too. By opting out of dropping our wards in personal cars, we all can contribute significantly in reducing car borne emissions.
It is my fervent appeal to all conscious citizenry that we need to shed off the hesitation for school bus service. Your support can go a long way in making STEMS self sustaining which will have duel benefits of reducing pollution and traffic congestion.
Yours etc
Dr. Uttam Saikia,
Zoological Survey of India,
Shillong
Why this bias against commercial passenger vehicles?
Editor,
I would like to refer to your paper’s news item under the heading ” Odd- even arrangement imposed in Police Bazaar” ( ST- June 2, 2023), wherein it was mentioned that from June 5, the odd – even restrictions will be imposed on all commercial vehicles traveling towards Police Bazaar and Motphran, the two main commercial centres of Shillong. In this regard, I am of the view that to bar half of the commercial vehicles from plying towards these centers will surely deprive those who depend on commercial vehicles of half their earnings because at least half of local travelers travel to the above commercial centers for various reasons or use these centers as embarkation points for travel to different destinations. For the powers that be to be oblivious of this, once again exposes their utter insensitivity towards the plight of the poor and the marginalized. The odd – even measure, if implemented will surely sink a large number of families into destitution.
If politicians and bureaucrats who always give lip service about good governance and welfare of the last man truly consider the interests of the poor as paramount, they should allow commercial vehicles to ply on all days and instead impose the odd – even rule on private vehicles, not only in Police Bazar and Motphran in but the entire Shillong City. This surely will decongest Shillong besides ensuring the livelihoods of the poor. This step will also drastically reduce pollution levels and encourage people to use public transportation which are the stated goals of the government.
Yours etc.,
Samuel Swett,
Shillong-2.