Water pipe laying under the Melamchi Water Project began weeks ago at Maharajgunj-Chakrapath starting from Bhatbhateni Point. But it was stopped at late hours on Wednesday July 29 with the desirability of continuing the work after the rainy season. In the course of excavation and filling up the ditches, telephone lines/ drinking water pipes and outflowing pipes were pulled off and set aside. The area so excavated has not been levelled and the disturbed structures and connections have not been repaired. The pedestrians have no ‘foot space’ to traverse. They are compelled to encroach on the structural steps of the buildings damaging increasingly the vital structural part of the building. Telephone communication, incoming drinking water, newspaper distribution, and daily economic transactions are all seriously affected. In the backdrop of unattended restoration of water/hume pipes, the stretch of the service track is full of mud and water pools are formed by stagnant drain water. This may be undeniably taken as a horrible environmental problem having serious repercussions of service cutoffs, health hazard as well as of negative effects on daily economic transactions. Before inception of a project undertaking there should be essential followup management of service restoration. The agencies concerned should take serious note of these problems and act urgently.

Chiranjeevilal Shrestha, via e-mail

Message

Apropos of the news story “Efforts to take all into confidence, Deuba tells Swaraj” (THT, July 31, Page 6), India invitations seem to have incredible effects on our politicians. Their tones become more conciliatory; they become more pliable team players and messengers of peace. They are also ready to own their mistakes, if any, and make amends. They return wiser, enlightened, more mature, mellow, humble, pensive and accommodating. They also set aside their personal and party prejudices and differences, and readily agree to take disgruntled fellow parties into confidence in the holy task of constitution drafting process.

Those awaiting their roll call seem to divinely come under the magical spell of salubrious southern message which gives them clarity as to what is more important. And, those who have been left out of the invitation, inadvertently or deliberately, play childish pranks probably in the hope of getting one. We are all used to this as children: I often wanted undivided attention of my parents. When they fail to respond, I did things that rub them in the wrong way provoking them to spank me with stinging nettles, bringing me to my senses. I would then see my folly.

J. Talchabhadell, Bhaktapur