Disregard to safety

As the Railways have failed to provide adequate train services passengers travelling on footboards hanging to the door rails and precariously balancing themselves on a tiny foothold while hanging onto iron bars of coach windows is a common scenario see pic

Updated At : 02:59 PM Jun 10, 2019 IST

Not caring two hoots about their safety, passengers are seen risking their lives by travelling on footboards, hanging to the door rails and precariously balancing themselves on a tiny foothold while hanging onto iron bars of coach windows. Photo: inderjeet verma

As the Railways have failed to provide adequate train services, passengers travelling on footboards, hanging to the door rails and precariously balancing themselves on a tiny foothold while hanging onto iron bars of coach windows is a common scenario (see pic). Such dangerous manner of travelling, even on short distances, is life-threatening. Many precious human lives are lost every day as a result of such reckless manner of rail travel. However, for the railway authorities, such loss of human lives is mere statistics, which lie buried in files after routine enquiries. It seems shocking that even after 72 years of independence, successive governments have not been able to provide such railway network where passengers could travel safely and comfortably.

What’s the weather forecast?

Sun shining at its peak and temperature in Ludhiana hovering around 44 degree Celsius, people are looking for respite from the heat. Some are going off to hill stations and beaches while others are waiting for the monsoon to arrive. Don’t be surprised to know that left with no other option, some people end up calling media offices to know about the weather forecast. No wonder a few days ago, I got a call from an administrator of an educational institute, enquiring about the weather forecast for the following day as they were planning a one-day trip with students. He didn’t want the students to swelter in the heat so thought knowing weather forecast from a reporter was a better idea.

Job security

Even as educational institutes here are offering various courses, many students take coaching for IELTS at various centres in the city. Aiming to settle abroad, a group of students at the Model Town market said they didn’t want to continue their studies in Punjab as there were very less job opportunities. Some of them were taking IELTS preparation classes for the past few months but their goal is rather clear — to settle either in Canada or Australia. One of them said he paid Rs 8,000 every month, but required bands were yet to be obtained. “After pursuing Class 12, I have decided to study in Canada and settle there. Even if I take admission in a reputed college here, I feel no job security. Which government has ensured job security in our country,” he questioned?

Chabeel organisers need to be watchful

Chabeel is a ritual of serving sweetened cold water to commuters during May and June. One can often spot chabeels in different areas of the city. While this ritual brings huge relief for some people from the scorching heat, it causes problems for others. The Chabeels set up on roadsides and on highways often lead to traffic chaos as commuters often stop their vehicles on roads. Halting vehicles on busy roads often leads to traffic jams. Some over excited volunteers sometimes even try to stop vehicles by standing in the middle of the road, which can lead to accidents. Organisers and volunteers need to be watchful so that it does not cause inconvenience to others.

Contributed by Kuldip Bhatia, Manav Mander, Harshraj Singh and Jaswant Shetra