Remove encroachments
The section of National Highway 47 connecting Kaliyakkavilai with Kanniyakumari is a very congested one and is one of the busiest roads in this part of the country. This highway has several curves along the entire stretch. In recent times, there is an alarming increase in the number of road accidents in this section. One of the major reasons for this is encroachments on both sides of the highway. One wonders how the same road can have a width of 50 feet at one place and 120 feet in another.
The high accident rate shows that there are no facilities for pedestrians to cross the road safely. Accidents can be prevented by widening the stretch and removing encroachments
.
G. Stanley Jeyasingh,
Nagercoil.
Parking zone
Four car streets in Tirunelveli Town are the busiest and the most crowded commercial zone in the city. Almost throughout the day, parking of vehicles along these roads is prohibited. There are one or two private parking zones in this area but they are not able to provide space for all vehicles. To alleviate the inconvenience caused to the public, the Corporation authorities may take steps to establish a parking zone along the southern side of the Nainarkulam tank removing the encroachments. If such a parking zone is established, it will reduce traffic congestion along the car streets to a large extent.
P. Victor Selvaraj,
Palayamkottai.
Drinking water scarcity
Residents of Thoothukudi are facing a severe drinking water shortage in the last three months. As the north east monsoon has failed as never before, the Thoothukudi Corporation is not in a position to provide adequate drinking water. People are now running from the pillar to post to get one pot of water. Nature has also played havoc to make the situation worse. The authorities concerned must take a serious look at the matter.
N. Kasi Lingam,
Thoothukudi.
Owing to scarcity, piped water carries a lot of sediments in Thoothukudi. As a result, domestic water filters are rendered inefficient. I would like to share certain precautions to be adopted so that the system runs smoothly during this difficult period. It is not a fit-and-forget unit. Proper maintenance will give extended service.
Basically an RO domestic filter consists of a pre-filter, after filter, carbon filter and a membrane to segregate water. Replace the polypropylene pre-filter once in three months. Replace the after filter and carbon filter once in two years.
Collect the reject water in a container and use it for gardening.
An DC driven motor pump takes care of the pressure drop across all these filters. Hence never run it during low voltage periods and without input water. If we follow these basic instructions, it will avoid costly breakdowns, besides conserving water.
J. Edison Devakaram,
Thoothukudi
Stadium in darkness
Daily, hundreds of people use the Thoothukudi District Sports Stadium on George Road for walking and jogging. A good number of women also use the ground in the early morning hours. For more than three months, about one third of the lamps along the walking platform are not working due to various reasons. To make matters worse, a fortnight ago suddenly all the lights went off and the entire stadium was in darkness due to electrical fault. This fault is not yet rectified and people have to walk in pitch darkness. Stray dog menace is rampant in the ground and walkers have to take careful steps in order to avoid treading on them by mistake. Now, a few people are carrying a torch light while walking. I request the District Sports Officer to take remedial steps immediately so that people can walk comfortably.
V. Pandy,
Thoothukudi.
