Showing posts with label AP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AP. Show all posts

Friday, September 5, 2008

Trafiic Police

Last evening I had to goto Hyderabad Deccan or Nampally Railway station as it is popularly know in Hyderabad, to see of a friend taking a train to Bombay.
Just in front of the railway station, I took the U-turn, and I was caught by the Traffic Police as its forbidden to take a U-turn at that junction. Mistake was clearly mine, I had not observed the puny little "No U-Turn" sign at that junction.

The police man asked me to step out of the car and pay the fine. I told him that I did not see the sign board, but will pay the fine. He took me to his superior where I asked them to write my fine and let me go as I had to go to the station. From what I observed, even though, I did a traffic rule violation, they were reluctant to write me a fine and let me pay the fine. They were rather interested to get some money (of course less than the traffic fine I had to pay) instead of making me pay for the fine. Ultimately, they let me go, with out loosing their face as my car registration is from Delhi.

The traffic constable was almost begging for the money to be paid, I walked off as if I did not observe his sorry face.

I felt really sad to see the traffic police in a state which makes them to beg for some money and be corrupt. I would have been so happy if they made me cough up fine instead of letting me go away.



Thursday, September 4, 2008

H for Horrible, H for Hyderabad

Roads as a resource in Hyderabad is always under threat, under constant attack, and no one cares.

Recently, I went to complain about the state if roads as a result of heavy trucks owned by a construction company. SMR Group of Builders.

They have ruined the roads every where they have started huge constructions. I was given all the lousy explanations and promises that they will repair the roads and nothing has happened.

In this case I really am surprised at their engineering skills. I pity those people who are going to live in the houses built my SMR Group.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

What do we teach our children?

In Hyderabad, India (which is true in other cities too), I keep seeing one recurring scene on the roads. Parents talking the children to the schools or bringing them back to home, on two wheelers (Bikes/Scooters/Scotterets/Mopeds etc).

It's very endearing scene as well as disturbing at the same time. Most of the parents, are subconsciously, are teaching their children to break the law, rules by breaking themselves.

Driving on wrong side of the road, taking shortcuts, driving without concerns to other commuter's convenience, over loading their bikes (I have seen 4-5 kids being ferried to the school by some brave hearts).

Children are very impressionable and they learn exactly what they see.

Do these parents care about the education they are giving their children?

Parents need to be good examples to their children.

Its a pity, these parents do not realize that they are the first teachers of their children.

Read this beautiful article/discussion A Parent's Realization: "I am my child's first teacher!"
See this Video


Children Learn From Parents


CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE!


CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE!

Helping Your Child Learn Responsible Behavior with activities for children

Children 'learn violence from parents'

Children learn from watching parents


Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Monsoons are here and so are the bad roads

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The monsoon's are finally active fortunately in and around Hyderabad. The late start of rainy season had become a cause of deep concern to the farming community. Also, it has a deep impact on the electricity generation in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Already the state of Andhra Pradesh is reeling under intense power cuts and I have been reading news paper reports about the Central Government turning down state's request for additional power for the fifth time.

The state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) has an huge shortfall of energy required. It is surprising that, AP used to sell additional electricity to neighboring states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, not too long ago. Today the demand for energy has over shot AP's capacity to generate it.

Most of the rivers in India are rain dependent and hence the electricity generation at the Hydal Power Plants are at the mercy of Rain Gods.

Despite the late monsoons bringing to cheers to the people, it also brings misery too. The roads are one particular aspect which suffer every rainy season in AP. If the road network in the capital city of AP, Hyderabad are any indication of the capabilities of Road Construction Department of the State, (called PWD, Public Works Department), I am can confident that the roads in the rest of the state are going to be in deplorable state.

One of the worst road laying techniques can be found in the city of Hyderabad. If you want to learn how not to make bad roads, please come to Hyderabad.

  • No gutters to regulate the rain waters which can be really destructive to the health of the roads
  • The surface of the roads are so rough and un even even when they are new, mere use of them is going to wear them in matter of no time
  • Absolutely no coordination between different civic services departments like water board, road works, electricity, telephone departments which results in laying and digging of roads throughout the year, never providing proper relief to the users.
  • Unabated use of heavy construction and construction equipment (mainly super heavy pre-mixed cement/concrete trucks), which rapidly destroy the feeble road network. The roads have certain capacity to carry certain kinds of vehicles. I am not an expert on this, but common sense tells me that you can not use all kinds of vehicles on any type of roads. I think state of AP can earn huge amounts of tax if it levies special road taxes just on these building construction vehicle. Not only the state gets additional revenue, it will make people use the resources more judiciously.
  • The roads are further damaged by people, who construct private and un-authorized speed breakers (humps), laying private water pipes across the streets. These are deadly, they are neither placed judiciously nor constructed with any kind of science in mind. They not only ruin the vehicles, also harm the travelers.

Please protest in any way you can and make an impact. Please save energy and help the environment.

 

 

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