The Hindu : Kerala News : District Notes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 25, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

District Notes

Kasaragod will witness a series of agitations in the next few days to draw the attention of the Government to several issues confronting the district. The Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, is visiting the district on November 30 to participate in his mass contact programme.

The People's Action Committee has decided to launch an agitation on November 27 against the undue delay in posting doctors and other staff in the district hospital and shifting the hospital to its new complex at Chemmattumvayal, near Kanhnagad. In fact, the Chief Minister, while addressing a public meeting at Bekal a few weeks ago, had promised that the formalities for posting the staff in the hospital would be completed soon and that he himself would inaugurate the hospital complex on November 30.

Though the district leadership of the United Democratic Front (UDF), which was once part of the action committee, is optimistic that the medical staff will be posted and the new complex would be inaugurated as promised by the Chief Minister, the committee is not convinced.

The Hosdurg MLA, M. Kumaran, will stage a fast demanding the immediate resolution of the compensation issue at the Ranipuram Guesthouse. A former caretaker of the guesthouse and his family members have been on an agitation to press the demand for the last 150 days. According to the MLA, the District Collector has been apathetic in resolving the issue despite the instructions given by the Chief Minister in this regard a few weeks ago.

The Endosulfan Virudha Committee will launch an indefinite fast seeking the immediate rehabilitation of Endosulfan victims, besides demanding compensation for them. The committee wants the Government to declare the areas in and around the plantations of the Kerala State Plantation Corporation in the district as anti-pesticide areas. The committee will launch its agitation in front of the Collectorate on Saturday.

It is the same story again. The authorities are going to insist on wearing helmets by two-wheeler riders.

The rule had been implemented earlier and had faced the wrath of the public. They had questioned the sincerity of the authorities who failed to ensure safe roads.

Accidents occur because of many reasons like narrow roads and the non-observance of traffic rules. Helmet is not the only solution to the problems faced by the people on the road.

Of course, helmets provide the kind of protection needed to the head in case of an accident. But what about other injuries is the question asked by the people. Many accidents can be avoided if the roads are more wide and smooth. Potholed roads coupled with negligence of the drivers lead to many an accident. This implies that the authorities have to ensure better facilities on the road while implementing the helmet code.

Concerned over the increasing number of road accidents, a number of voluntary organisations are trying to educate road-users about the dos and don'ts while traversing thoroughfares.

A long-time resident of Kochi, P.R. Krishna Narayanan says that the key to escaping accidents is anticipation. According to him, it would indeed be half the battle. Consideration for other road users characterises enlightened European drivers and pedestrians alike. A dominant feature of the decisive significance of Europeans, especially the British, is their constant sense of anticipation. Mutual understanding averts accidents.

Little wonder, accident rates have been on the rise here.

In addition to mechanical devices, the change has to come from within. This alone will ensure a long-term solution. For it is indeed excruciating to realise that despite a noticeably lower density of traffic than in Britian, India has a far higher rate of fatality. Most catastrophes could have been prevented, avers Mr. Narayanan.

By K.P. Pushparaj in Kasaragod and
R. Ramabhadran Pillai and K. Venkiteswaran in Kochi

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section