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Powerless in Delhi

The frequency and length of power cuts in Delhi are appalling, to say the least. The residents of Old Rajendra Nagar experienced it all no less than a dozen times in a single day on July 3.

It makes me wonder if this city-state we call Delhi is really the Capital of the country.

The State Administration's apathy is conspicuous.

Just because the authorities have privatised power distribution does not absolve them of the responsibility of ensuring uninterrupted power supply.

Power distribution companies NDPL and BSES and the transmission company Transco are busy trading charges. The Chief Minister is ubiquitously seen doing road shows abroad (taking Dilli Haat to the world, etc.) and inaugurating assorted events and her photographs show her all smiles while the hapless denizens of Delhi undergo acute power and water shortages.

Ms. Dikshit will do well to look for alternative employment before the next Delhi Assembly elections or even earlier as her government is unlikely to last its full term.

Alok Srivastava,

55/1, 2nd Floor, Old Rajendra Nagar, New Delhi - 110 060.

Hello, Metro....

Driving down along Ring Road, from Azadpur towards Kingsway Camp, one can see that the Delhi Metro authorities have started construction activity for extension of Line 2 from Delhi University to Jehangirpuri. The underground trains from the Kingsway Camp side will climb a ramp and continue the journey on the elevated section up to Jehangirpuri. As part of shifting the utilities, streetlighting poles are being removed from the central verge of the road and being replaced by new tubular poles, which are now being put along the footpaths on both sides of the road. This is being done to accommodate the elevated track on the central verge.

I have noticed that the streetlight poles that are being installed are distinctly of a lesser diameter than the earlier poles. This is a potentially dangerous situation. Streetlight poles have to meet a certain standard to withstand high-velocity winds which occur in Delhi during summers. In case the poles are not strong enough, they will fall on the road, endangering the lives of road/pavement users. Can the Delhi Metro authorities tell us if the necessary standards for streetlighting equipment are being met while this job is being done?

Initially, when the earlier elevated sections came up and similar poor quality poles were being installed, I thought that it was a temporary measure and that the authorities would replace the poles with the new hexagonal section GI poles as was done over the completed underground section. However, along the elevated Line 1 and Line 3 one can see that this has not happened, and it has resulted in poor quality streetlighting along these lines. In fact, there are entire stretches where streetlight poles have not been installed at all! Driving from Prem Bari Pul towards Inder Lok station, one finds huge areas without streetlighting, whereas prior to the Metro's Line 1 this road had excellent streetlighting.

I do hope the Delhi Metro authorities will look into this and continue to live up to their image of not tolerating shoddy work.

Rajeev R. Singh,

AD-118-B, Shalimar Bagh (Ring Road),

Delhi - 110 088.

Campus daze

Mandira Nayar in her "Campus Jottings" (July 13) outlines the very many steps being taken in Delhi University to fight the menace of "ragging" -- from deployment of police, including plainclothesmen and women, at strategic places on the campus to stopping outsiders from coming to the campus. Complaint boxes are to be provided, mobile patrolling done, and leaflets distributed with important telephone numbers to be called by students with problems. Many colleges have also installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) to keep up vigil.

There is no doubt that ragging can sometimes take a vicious turn, especially in hostels, where the authorities must be especially vigilant.

But there is also a case for permitting, and indeed encouraging, a healthy intermingling among junior and senior students who, after all, will be studying together. As long as such interactions are purely verbal -- with a touch of fun added to them -- the authorities would do well to leave the students to "bond" with each other.

It is only if the "Lakshman Rekha" of healthy interaction is crossed that the authorities should swing into punitive action.

Vinod Chowdhury,

Senior Reader in Economics,

St. Stephen's College,

Delhi University,

Delhi - 110 007.

Double tragedy

A Russian plane bursting into flames on July 9 killing at least 150 passengers and, in India, the Agni-III test flight ending up in failure the same day are very unfortunate events. Both these events were foretold in Volume 274 of "Baba Ji" (English) astrological magazine and Volume 137 of "Baba Ji" (Hindi) in the following forecasts:

"Russia & Republics -- The planetary configurations reveal that within about one month from 25th June, 2006, serious transport accidents are feared." "India -- The planetary configurations reveal that within about one month from 25th June, 2006, things are likely to turn upside down. It will not be a surprise if some of the strategic warehouses or arsenal stores are set on fire or destroyed." "Daily Astrological Inclinations -- 9th July, 2006: Scientific pursuits will be set on fire or damaged....Transport accidents are feared."

By all planetary indications the 9th of July 2006 was an inauspicious day and the Agni-III test flight should have been avoided. These forecasts are a result of the Indian system of astrology updated by me over the years. The administrators' and the media's indifference to taking full advantage of this development of science is unfortunate. How long will they continue to sleep when losses which are avoidable continue to be perpetrated on mankind?

Lachhman Das Madan,

Editor, "Baba Ji" astrological magazine,

J-7/28, Rajouri Garden,

New Delhi - 110 027.

J&K railway

According to press reports, the UPA Government has approved the Jammu-Srinagar railway line as a national project. It was actually a brainchild of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. When it was first conceived in 2002, it was estimated to cost Rs.3,600 crore but now it is estimated to cost Rs.11,000 crore. It is the most ambitious and costliest project ever undertaken by the Indian Railways.

Needless to say, the whole amount of money would be found from the pockets of Indian taxpayers. However, because of Article 370 of the Constitution and J&K's own separate Constitution, no Indian, not even the jawans shedding their blood for the sake of J&K and its people, can buy an inch of land or settle there, whereas anyone of J&K is free to purchase landed property or settle anywhere in India. I, therefore, request the patriotic Indian intelligentsia to pressurise the Union Government to undertake the Jammu-Srinagar rail project only after Article 370 is removed and J&K is fully integrated with India.

Ram Gopal,

A-2B/94-A, MIG Flats,

Paschim Vihar,

New Delhi - 110 063.

(Letters for this column may be sent by e-mail to wsins@thehindu.co.in. They must carry the full postal address of the writer and should be marked "Reader's Mail".)

55/1, 2nd Floor, Old Rajendra Nagar, New Delhi - 110 060.

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