Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Shillong Jottings

Date:

Share post:

The great playground hunt
The city that has everything… except enough playgrounds. You know, for the kids who don’t exactly find joy in dodging moving cars or racing across narrow lanes like it’s a mini obstacle course. The closest thing to a playground here is probably the sidewalk — perfect for a game of ‘Avoid the bicycle!’ or ‘How quickly can you jump out of the way of a speeding vehicle?’
Sure, there are a few open fields, but calling them “playgrounds” is like calling a slingshot a missile launcher.
Meanwhile, the adults of Shillong get cozy at their coffee shops, sip on overpriced lattes, and debate the best way to avoid traffic. While the kids are just trying to find enough space to kick a ball without causing a minor traffic incident. How about turning some of that unused space into real playgrounds? Maybe less traffic, more swings. It’s a novel concept, but worth a try.

Footpaths for the healthy and the happily involved
The footpaths are a mystery in the city Narrow enough to give anyone a sense of claustrophobia, they’re more of a suggestion than an actual walking space.
If you happen to be walking with a friend, be prepared for a slow-motion waltz and people trying to squeeze by. But, heaven help you if you’re someone who enjoys an extra serving of biryani because the footpath in Shillong was clearly designed for the perfectly svelte and single.
And while we understand the narrow roads, should footpaths really be designed like they were after an argument with practicality? Maybe it’s time for the footpaths to stop being a test of agility and become something that accommodates real-life walking.

Related articles

Preserve high-yielding native crop varieties: TERI DG

Guwahati, April 2: “High-yielding native crop varieties suitable for this region should be preserved and cultivated for the...

‘Today’s voting on bill will decide which party is secular’, Kapil Sibal slams govt on Waqf

New Delhi, April 2:  Former Law Minister Kapil Sibal went all guns blazing against the Centre over the...

Two women Maoists killed in encounter near tiger reserve in MP

Bhopal, April 2: Two Maoists have been neutralised in a major encounter near the Kanha Tiger Reserve in...

‘Historic day’, says Rijiju ahead of introduction of Waqf Amendment Bill in LS

New Delhi, April 2: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju called Wednesday a historic day as the Waqf Amendment...