The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Reader's Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 13, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Reader's Mail

Re-issue of voter

ID cards

A news item in The Hindu said that the Chief Electoral Officer, Naresh Gupta, has said that those who had not been yet provided with voter identity cards would be issued their cards in the run-up to the elections. In this connection it should be noted that there are quite a few voters, who had been provided with, but lost, the identity cards.

One of the reasons for losing them is that these cards are carried senior citizens travelling by train as proof of age. I am one such person who lost 3 such cards during my visit to Mumbai last year. Are such persons eligible to receive fresh/ duplicate cards and will they be covered too?

The Election Commission would be doing a great favour to the people who have lost their EPIC if they notified in leading newspapers in English and regional languages the source to be contacted for getting duplicate cards.

K. A. Gopalakrishna

Sharma

Chromepet

Disciplining the

city traffic

The traffic in Chennai is chaotic, with no self-discipline or respect for rules of safety on the road. Offences that would invite deterrent punishment or fine in civilised metros elsewhere go unpunished here.

The traffic police should come down heavily on vehicles driving without headlights (particularly two-wheelers and 3 wheelers) after dusk, posing great danger especially to pedestrians.

Driving on the wrong side of the road, particularly by the 2-wheelers, weaving through traffic at high speed by 2-wheelers, scant respect for pedestrians waiting at zebra lines for crossing are daily occurrences on the city's roads.

If the above practices are to be rooted out, it can be done only by pressing into service special mobile traffic police, who are on the move all the time.

Srinivasa Rangaswami

Kottur Gardens

Streetlights not working

Residents of Jaganathan Street, Balaiah Garden, Madipakkam are put to untold hardships as not a single street light has been burning for the past few months. After 6 p.m., the street becomes pitch dark except for dim lighting that thrown by the lights in some houses. The worst affected are the elderly who cannot venture out for fear of getting hurt, as the street is uneven and full of small rocks and stones.

Petitions sent to the Madipakkam Panchayat Office have failed to evoke any response. I also complained to the TNEB Office, Madipakkam who maintain that it is the job of Madipakkam Panchayat. Will the higher authorities intervene and do the needful?

V. Kumaresan

Madipakkam

Plea for new bus routes

At present there is no direct bus from Anna Nagar to Maduravoyal, Thiruverkadu and Poonamallee. Anna Nagar commuters have to catch at least two buses to reach Poonamallee, Thiruverkadu or even Maduravoyal, which are barely about 5 km from Anna Nagar. Earlier a bus was plying from Kumaran Nagar to Poonamallee via Anna Nagar and Koyambedu. But the bus was abruptly withdrawn without any reason being given.

I request the authorities to restore the old route or introduce a new bus route to serve the needs of Anna Nagar residents.

C. N. Raman

Annanagar

Danger at bus stop

The passengers waiting for Thiruvanmiyur/ Besant Nagar bound buses at the Adyar OT bus stop on Sardar Patel Road in front of the Andhra Bank building run the risk of being hit by vehicles coming from the Andhra Bank building and plying along Sardar Patel Road.

I request the MTC authorities to install a `Bus Stop' signboard near TNSC Bank to make it easier for the passengers.

P. K. Sankar

Adyar

Roads not re-laid

in Ramapuram

Due to the heavy rains during October/ November last year all the city roads have been extensively damaged. The government has sanctioned lakhs of rupees for relaying of roads. Ramapuram, which has a private medical and engineering college, is a connecting point for K.K. Nagar, Valasarawalkam and Porur. The road extending from Nesapakkam of K.K. Nagar has been black topped up to the border of Ramapuram since it falls under the corporation limits.

But the roads inside Ramapuram have not been taken care of as they are maintained by the panchayat. Why is this `step motherly treatment' being meted out when all the residents are paying their taxes?

B. Venugopal,

Ramapuram

A pat for Chennai police

I am a 74-year-old who attended the "Srinivasa Kalyana Utsavam" organised by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams at the Koyembedu market grounds on March 5. I was accompanied by my elder son. But unfortunately I was separated from him.

When the function was over it was nearly 9 p.m. I left my bag containing my purse with my son. I approached a policewoman on duty there, who was very courteous and helpful. She asked me for my son's cell phone number but I could not remember it. She then asked me for any other relative's number. With the help of that, she found my son's cell number and asked him to come and take custody of me near the entrance gate.

She waited till my son came though it was past 10 in the night.

The courtesy and patience she showed reminded me of a daughter's concern for a father. Her behaviour was nothing short of exemplary.

K. Ramaswamy,

Tambaram

Traffic snarls near Padi

The MTH road, near Wheels India, Padi, where construction of a flyover is in progress, sees frequent traffic snarls.

The authorities should either remove encroachments on the road or divert buses coming from Villivakkam towards Ambattur via the Annanagar West bus depot. This will help to some extent in improving the traffic flow.

T. Gunaseelan,

Ambattur

CMWSSB clarification

With reference to news item published in your paper dated February 20, we wish to clarify that the drinking water pollution at 5th Cross Street, 6th Cross Street and 2nd Main Road. East of Mahalakshmi Nagar, West Velachery was taken care of during the first week of October 2005 by rectifying the damaged valve chamber at 1st Main Road near Pre. No. 78/1.

The water samples were tested and found potable. Subsequently, based on the press reports the water samples were tested on February 21, and 23 at 2nd Main Road 5th and 6th Cross Street, Mahalakshmi Nagar, West Velachery and it was found the residual chlorine available is at the appropriate level for potable water.

CMWSSB,

Chennai

Chromepet

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