Briefing :
- Objective : Poison the city’s air and make the citizens terminally ill.
- Leaders : Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhatacharjee, Opposition leader Mamata Banerjee and the political parties
- Operatives : 80,000 of the legal and illegal autos running on spurious fuel
- Weapons : Deadly exhaust fumes containing carcinogenic components that leaves you ill in no time.
- Target : The citizens of the city, especially the children.
Mission pollution has succeeded again. One of my friends has been successfully diagnosed with asthma. I’m next in line, probably.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the hon’ble chief minister Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and the opposition leader Ms. Mamata Banerjee for practicing their brand of what I call “poison people” politics which is all being done for the benefit of the people. In fact Mr. Buddhadeb has been so busy trying not to get his party, administration and the police into another controversy after Nandigram/Singur, and Ms. Mamata so much engulfed in saving the occupation of the auto-drivers, that they seem to have forgotten about the common people, and how we are poisoned everyday on the street.
Ironically, it was we, the common people who elected them, and beseated them in their positions of power.
The Government can go and die for all I care… Maybe you can rule! *Is liking that idea*
Thanks for the comment, Elfy.
No, I won’t like to become a politician when I grow up. Maybe it’s just the way the politicians act here, that they discourage me from taking up politics as my profession. I’d more like to be an zoologist, environmentalist, or something along those lines.
Well, you could be an environmental consultant, someone who collaborates with professionals about the environmental impacts of their businesses and decisions. That’s a job that can make a difference, without being directly involved in ‘Politics’. Or you could start a non-profit, but I don’t know if India’s economy has a specifically non-profit sector, so it might be harder. Plus, you’re 17 and all….
Here’s a link relating Environmental Consulting:
http://www.environcorp.com/careers/
Cool, huh?
Thanks for the link, Chee.
I’ve already done some preliminary studies on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on my own, and yeah, an environmental consultant will be a suitable carrier option for me.
Take it easy man. There’s no use blaming the leaders who are just symbolic faces of the parties. The corruption is deep and its so deep that it ultimately reaches to our level i.e. that of the common people who elect. Remember 99% people will protest if the auto-fare goes up when a greener technology is taken up. We have got to change our attitude first which is the hardest part.
Yeah, the attitude change is important; not in the way you think, but in an other way. It’s very important that the people realise that how the pollution is affecting them.
It’d really take a very weak constitution to (apparently) suffer from common cold throughout the year. People should realise the the constant irritation and the sooty mucous discharge from their throats, and the alarmingly frequent cases of respiratory diseases and throat/lung cancer is not common. It’s like living in hell, perhaps worse than hell as you get to breathe clean air in hell, I suppose.
Breathing heavily-polluted katatel-fume laced air is a common thing for the people of Kolkata. They need to realise that living in a city does not necessarily mean breathing heavily polluted air. They need to realise that there are other cities in India where the air is cleaner. They need to realise that katatel is only used in West Bengal, and no where else in the country. The auto operators need to realise that katatel itself is illegal, and they are violating the law and causing deaths of people by using it.
Delhi switched their public vehicles to LPG in 1999 in face of tremendous resistance from the auto operators. Shiela Dikshit’s strong will for public welfare prevailed in the end. Mumbai, Chennai and other metropolitans have done it. Even small cities like Ahmedabad and many small towns have done it. Then why can’t Kolkata do it? Because the parties/politicians don’t care about the people and people itself isn’t aware of the consequences of breathing such polluted air.
About the fare change: There will be no fare change if the autos switch to LPG. LPG is economical than the adulterated katatel and even petrol. The cost of LPG is higher; but they last longer; and overcompensate the slightly high price. This has been proved theoretically, as well as the few auto operators who have switched to LPG have acknowledged this. If at all there is a fare change, the fare will fall, not rise.
By rise in fare I meant the more costly 4-stroke engine. Definitely fare can never fall,it might rise as changing the engine is quite costly,albeit the many private sector incentives.I also think that not only autos but other vehicles should use CNG as well.But the first step should be to disallow the trucks or buses or indigenous ambassadors which are 20 years older or more from plying in the city area and then transform the vehicles into greener ones. Alternative technology should be allowed a favourable market and certain rebates and incentives to patronise the cause.The slum problem should be dealt with and population control should be undertaken.Further the city celebrities should come up and set a proper example like Steve Waugh did when he cleared a pond of its debris in Thakurpukur. I also think that River pollution should be properly dealt with and steps are being taken by building resorts like Ganga Kuthir besides the Hooghly.I guess once the recession period is over,a cognizant drive should be made to create awareness among Calcuttans about the pollution menace. I might sound a little didactic or preachy but the truth is the problems are a plenty and even the High Court can’t control the Brigade on the Gorer Matth.People should come forward.
Yes, as always, it’s the people who should realise that everything is being done for their good. They should come forward.
The High Court has set July 31st, 2009 as the deadline for abolishment of the vehicles older than 20 years. As usual, the government is not gonna meet the deadline and flout the law.