Iconic edifices
Sir — Seeing Calcutta’s monumental edifices up close can often be a humbling experience. Many buildings in North and Central Calcutta are older than the nation itself; they have withstood the test of time and continue to awe visitors to this day. In contrast to their longevity is the fragility and the impermanence of the playing-card structures built by Arnav Daga, who has recently broken the Guinness World Record for the largest structure constructed out of playing cards. Daga’s representation of four iconic buildings of Calcutta — Shaheed Minar, St Paul’s Cathedral, Writers’ Building and Salt Lake Stadium — is a testament to the city’s rich architectural heritage that has withstood the ravages of time, unlike his ephemeral creations.
Pranjal Bhowmick, Calcutta
Too little, too late
Sir — The new reports, “‘Outburst’ warning comes true, 20 years on” (Oct 6) and “Glare on paucity of govt funds” (Oct 7), reveal the possible reasons behind the recent catastrophic event in Sikkim and the measures that could have been taken to prevent it. Researchers are justifiably rueing the fact that governments do not heed their warnings. Unplanned urbanisation and indiscriminate construction of dams have intensified the effects of natural disasters. While a definite death toll is yet to be ascertained, what is particularly disheartening is that the disaster could have been averted had the Centre released funds on time for the installation of early warning systems for the glacier-fed lakes in the Himalayas.
Sukhendu Bhattacharjee, Hooghly
Sir — The flash flood caused by the glacial lake outburst in South Lhonak lake in Sikkim was devastating. Measures must be taken to mitigate the sufferings of those affected. It is distressing to read that repeated warnings by scientists and activists have been ignored.
According to recent news reports, Mumbai could well find itself underwater by 2050 if appropriate steps are not taken to protect wetlands and forests. The authorities should take action to prevent further destruction of our ecology.
Melville X. D’Souza, Mumbai
Sir — The Central government should immediately halt all construction work in Northeast India. After Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Sikkim is now bearing the brunt of unplanned industrialisation in the form of landslides and floods. The mountainous regions of the country should be mapped into zones of varying degrees of risk, with drilling and excavation completely banned in areas where the risks of natural disasters are high.
P.V. Madhu Nivriti, Secunderabad
Sir — More than 90 people have been killed so far and scores are still missing following the glacial lake outburst flood in Sikkim recently. Although it has been classified as a natural disaster, the human hand in the tragedy is undeniable. The government’s reluctance to slow down the rate of construction of dams in the mountainous areas has proved to be ruinous; the Chungthang dam has now been washed away. Saving people’s lives and evacuating tourists from the area must be the priorities now.
Jayanta Datta, Hooghly
Sir — The recent flood in Sikkim occurred after the state received five times the normal amount of rainfall in two days, leading to massive swelling in the waters of the Teesta. The rise in water levels caused severe damage to areas like Mangan and Namchi. The governments of Sikkim and West Bengal should work with the Centre to evacuate tourists and locals affected by the floods.
D. Bhattacharyya, Calcutta
Poll bugle
Sir — The Election Commission of India has scheduled polls in five states in the month of November (“5 states go to polls next month”, Oct 10). Nearly 16.1 crore voters are eligible to vote in these elections, with around 60 lakh among them exercising their right to vote for the first time. Although the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, has assured that the elections will be fair, it is inexplicable why the polls need to be dragged on for a month. Additionally, if electronic voting machines are used, why can the results not be declared within a day or two? The entire process seems too convoluted. India should stop spending so much time and resources on conducting elections.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad
Sir — The upcoming assembly elections in five states are rightly being billed as the semi-final clashes between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress. After a thumping win in the Karnataka elections, the Congress is on a roll. Added to this is the recent furore around the caste census, which the Congress has promised to conduct should it be voted to power. It seems that the assembly elections will be more interesting than the ongoing World Cup.
N. Mahadevan, Chennai
Solid player
Sir — The Men in Blue have started their campaign in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 with a somewhat shaky victory against Australia. Indian bowlers performed superbly to restrict the Australians to a modest total of 199. Thereafter, the Indian top order failed to get going and it was left to the two experienced batsmen, Virat Kohli and K.L. Rahul, to push the team over the finish line. Rahul deservedly received the Man of the Match award for his knock of 97 runs.
Iftekhar Ahmed, Calcutta
Sir — K.L. Rahul must be congratulated for his brilliant performance after coming back from injury. He had been written off in many circles but his cool-headed knock taking India to victory has proved his detractors wrong.
M.N. Gupta, Hooghly
