Editor,
I would like to highlight the painful sight of random digging of PHE water pipes on the black-topped roads. This is now a common yearly occurrence and much has been written about it over the years but nothing appears to be done.
What is most disturbing is the haphazard digging up of the PWD roads. A most recent and ongoing case to point is the digging up of the road from Nongrim Hills Petrol Pump towards MES. The digging up has been done along the centre of the road and not along the roadside as we were wont to see in earlier days.
Firstly, let me point out that this road is a Bituminous Macadam road and carpeting has been done using specialized machines, ensuring both uniform compaction and uniform spread of materials. What this central digging has achieved is compromising the structural strength of the road along the dug-up trenches. How can the dug-up trenches be compacted to obtain the required base strength? How can re-laid bituminous material retain the homogenous composition of the original material and structure? The re-laid material is normally a Pre-mix carpeting which is incongruous with the original BM structure and does not blend at all. We have seen the deteriorated road condition in Rynjah Market where the pipes were also laid along the center of the road. It is visible to the naked eye even today.
Secondly, why and when was digging up the centre of the road to lay pipelines allowed? Do the PHE or JJM Guidelines stipulate this? What about the PWD- does it have no say in the matter or is it’s brief simply to allow its roads to be dug up in whichever way others may desire? There has to be some spine and some say somewhere.
Thirdly, what is transpiring shows also a glaring lack of planning and coordination between the concerned departments. As pointed out, the Nongrim Hills Petrol Pump – MES road has been recently blacktopped, and now it has been dug up again. The same digging up is observed along the Nongrim Hills – Bethany Hospital road. A point that must be looked at also is the absolute lack of concern for the commuters. We must question why this work was not done a few months earlier ahead of the commencement of the school and college sessions. This action is not only inconveniencing the pedestrians but also likely to endanger lives and safety of school-going children.
Fourthly, we as citizens must be alarmed at the wasteful spending of tax-payer’s money. A road is first laid with tax-payers money. It is dug up within the month. Then it is again re-laid and repaired with tax-payer’s money again. This is utterly crass wastage of public money, which could have been well-spent somewhere else.
Finally, it is not only the pipelines, but also the digging up and construction of drains being seen now that is an eyesore and an undue harassment all around. No Entry, One-way regulations and such like especially during school timings is nothing but sheer harassment. We the public, are made to suffer because of the incompetence and insensitivity of the implementing agencies and the deaf indifference of those with the ability to influence.”
Yours etc.,
D Lyngdoh,
Via email
A riposte to belief system, faith and ADCs
Editor,
Apropos the letter on belief system and faith and ADCs by NK Kehar (ST March 10, 2025), I found the riposte convoluted, when broaching about a non-sequitur oligarch like Elon Musk and his DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) where even cabinet members in the US are themselves up in arms. But I’ll try to make sense, since the letter also states that, “I missed the point,”
I don’t know what Kehar’s primary grouse with the ADCs is. I guess it is about his legitimate grievance against the ADCs narrowing down the scope of business for non-tribals. He’s free to critique, lambast or be preachy to the ADCs about their functions and dysfunctions. I give him my best wishes.
I however continue to disagree about mixing ADC’s mandates with belief system and faith. This discussion needs to go beyond a letter to the Editor in some other forum or fora where we can openly debate this subject.
Yours etc.,
Rudi Warjri,
Via email
The Price of Pink: Why Women Pay More for Less
Editor,
We’ve just wrapped up Women’s Day with all the right empowerment slogans, motivational memes and the “You go, girl!” speeches. But now that the high has settled, let’s talk about the actual cost of being a woman. And I don’t mean metaphorically, I mean the literal, wallet-draining cost of existing in a female body.
An article in Mint recently reminded me of something I’ve noticed but never fully processed: women are paying extra for the exact same products and services men use. This isn’t a wild feminist conspiracy, it’s an actual, documented phenomenon called the Pink Tax. It’s the reason a razor suddenly becomes more expensive when dipped in pastel colours. Men’s razors are built for efficiency, sharp, sturdy and priced like a practical tool. Women’s razors? They come in soft pastel shades, with ergonomic curves (we never asked for), and a price tag that suggests they possess magical hair-vanishing properties!
It’s the same story with clothing, a women’s plain white T-shirt somehow costs more than the men’s version, despite having less fabric (what are they charging us for, the air between the threads?).
Then there’s the haircut paradox. A man with long hair can stroll into a men’s salon and get a trim for what we’d call pocket change. But if he steps into a women’s salon, suddenly his hair is no longer just hair…it’s a complex, high-maintenance entity demanding Bond-level precision and architectural layering. Same hair, same scissors, but suddenly, the price tag suggests a masterpiece is being sculpted.
Face wash? The men’s version says “Removes Dirt”, the women’s version says “Infused with ancient Himalayan rose extracts for a celestial glow.” Translation? It does the exact same thing, but at twice the price. Because apparently, glowing costs extra!
And here is where it hurts the most: we’re not just paying more, we’re also earning less. The gender pay gap ensures that while a man pays Rs. 200 for a deodorant, we pay Rs. 280 for ours and we do it while earning 25% less than him.
So how do we fix this? First, get mad. Second, get smart. Start checking price tags like your life depends on it – because it does. Buy the men’s razor -it actually works better, probably because it wasn’t designed to look “cute.” Grab the men’s deodorant – if you can handle the lingering scent of “Arctic Thunder” or “Wolf Rage” and the occasional puzzled stare. And when it comes to T-shirts? Go for the men’s section. Billie Eilish does, and let’s be honest, they’re more comfortable. Also, compare brands. Some don’t play these ridiculous pricing games. Support them. Call out the ones that do. And maybe next Women’s Day, instead of sentimental hashtags, perfume, chocolates, and floral tributes, we demand something actually worth celebrating, like fair pricing.
Yours etc.,
Ellerine Diengdoh,
Via email