Traffic accidents

Sir,

The city of temples is witnessing a phenomenal rise in the number of private and commercial vehicles. While as the road length has more or less remained same the number of vehicles has increased manifold thereby putting immense pressure on the road infrastructure of the city.

The result is that accidents occur daily and almost every day some body is killed, or injured. It is also true that the cause of accidents rising in the city is not only due to the presence of huge number of vehicles in the city but also due to the rise in number of young and inexperienced drivers who come on the roads with their vehicles. These young vehicle owners either having cars or motorcycles race past the traffic as if they are on jet aeroplanes. The number of young boys and girls owning vehicles especially motorcycles and other two wheelers is increasing every day. With no curbs and checks for them whether they have a proper and genuine driving licence or whether they are of the age in which driving is permissible is not been checked by the Traffic police. People who drive fast, overtake in wrong way are not challenged or booked on spot.

The main reasons for phenomenal rise in road accidents is that traffic flow is neither maintained properly nor monitored as it should be. Licence issuing authority has to check the whether people who apply for licence are of the required age or not. Only Licence should be issued after physical and on spot test driving is done as is done in other countries. The traffic department too has to act in a stringent way. It has to impose heavy fines on spot if traffic rules are not adhered to. People have to be repeatedly impressed upon the need to drive according to rules. If we drive according to rules and with patience nothing will happen on the roads but people in general and the concerned departments in particular will have to perform their duty honestly and with full application.

Yours etc...
Jagir Singh
Channi Rama
Jammu

Eco friendly vehicles

Sir,

The ongoing Auto Expo at the New Delhi has been a huge success. Newer and sleek cars have been showcased in the auto exposition. There is a great rush in the show. When Tata's one lakh Nano was unveiled it created a record of sorts. People in lakhs are pressing hard to have a look. Small cars like Nano come in a different league. They are mini subcompact cars which have a smaller engine.

One of the main issues facing the automotive industry the world over is the problem of pollution. Nodoubt stringent measures are being employed the world over about the emission Norms still much is wanting in this context. In our country there are vehicles which run on Euro 1 and Euro 2 norms which when translated into Indian conditions is Bharat Stage I and Bharat State II. But this is not enough. Now there are cars which have Euro-III and Euro-IV emission norms but they are few in number.

Hence the need is to have more efficient and near Zero Emission vehicles. Whenever we burn fossil fuels especially petrol and diesel there is bound to be emission no matter whatever technology is incorporated. Thus there are a large number of vehicles in the auto expo which focus a dual use technology like a battery and any fossil fuel mostly petrol. Such hybrid vehicles have definitely low emission profile. But we need to have even more stringent emission norms. So battery operated vehicles will find use in future. No wonder scooters like Yo are drawing large crowds in the Auto show. These scooters run only on electric motors and have low maintenance and give a mileage of 700 kms/charging. In near future we shall have to go in for either hybrid vehicles, or Battery operated ones or those. which run on LPG or CNG. The future is secure only when we use ecofriendly vehicles to save our environment from complete ruin.

Yours etc...
Krishen Singh Dogra
Canal Road
Jammu

T&D losses

Sir,

Every now and then concern has been shown in various fora and in varied forms for an immediate need to curb transmission and distribution losses. The successive State Governments have not been able to address this problem. Now it is estimated that these losses have touched more than forty percent. It means that for every one hundred megawatts of power produced forty megawatts are wasted due to transmission losses.

The single most factor responsible for high and rising Transmission and Distribution losses is the lack of willingness on the part of the department of power. Not even a single unauthorised bulb can escape their notice if the department is willing to know and monitor. But sadly it is not. But there is a wilful turning eyes on the part of the department to such a colossal theft of power. There are thousands of illegal connections that draw thousands of kilowatts of power worth crores in the State due to vested interest in the whole matter. Additional lines operate even in metered areas with the tacit connivance of the department officials to draw illegal power.

In this context the real solution lies to provide incentives to the concerned departmental employees for disconnecting every illegal connection, including additional lines to metered homes. The solution lies in providing incentives to the concerned departmental employees for disconnecting every illegal connection, including additional lines to e-metered homes. The incentives must be lucrative in finance as well as in status so as to galvanise the employees of the department of produce tangible results.

Yours etc...
M L Pandit
Talab Tillo
Jammu