Can someone please explain the logic?

One can use the bus in the picture to measure the amount of rain received and the floods it would have caused in Chennai during the November Rain in 2008. A relief of Rs.1,000 for houses located in waterlogged areas is all what the Government could think of. Even if we rewind to March the same year, “flood relief package of Rs.2,000, 5 kg of rice, 1 litre of kerosene, sari and dhoti was being distributed to each of the affected family“. That is the only way we manage our country. Parse through the statements made after each and every disaster, you can find a stereotype, every where.

Had the same happened to your house, as the head of the family, would you give Rs 2000 to your spouse and ask to take care of the situation? Can someone explain the logic behind such relief packages?

If this is given as a “Problem Solving” question for any of the entrance exams, I am sure the answer would have been to eliminate the root cause. In this case, even though we know the root cause of the problem, we do not eliminate it, instead opt for the relief package. The cost of the same relief package for one instance could have helped to relocate the encroachers and ensure that the encroachment never happened again. Change is what we need. Change the way the Government thinks, not the Government itself. For there is no use if the next thinks the same way in terms of relief packages. God bless India. People bless the Government.

How “Early” is “Early”?

We have often heard this. “Start Early, Drive Slowly and Reach Safely”. Probably the one who said this was in a stone age, where they had to start early because of the slow moving wheels. Though we have changed to fast moving wheels, there is no change in the situation. The only difference is that the former could estimate exactly the time it would take to reach the destination and the latter cannot. If one has to reach a destination at a given time, the only way is to stay back at the destination already. How “Early” is “Early”?

Morning traffic at Outer Ring Road - Marathahalli, Bangalore

At times, we had tried our best to stick to disciplined driving. We follow lane discipline, we have also tried to leave enough space between ours and the one before. But why did we ever retract? “We” are the reason. “We” are the ones who decided our destiny. “We” are responsible for it.

Man’s best friend…

At times I had cursed the inventor of a mobile phone, when I see people speaking on phone while driving and carelessly walking across the road while on phone. Often, came up the thought, “Is this what we make mobile phones for?” All this changed after seeing last Sunday’s newspaper that carried this photo. This man was injured in the recent terrorist attack on innocents in India. While he could not get a help from people around, guess what came to his help?

His mobile phone. Yes he calls for help from his mobile phone. A quick thought that came across to me is that the photographer could have helped him, instead of making money out of this picture. Probably we have the “best friend” of mankind in our pockets.

Photo Courtesy: The Times of India, dated 14th September 2008.

Carefree chicks

The road adjoining the Madiwala lake is a better by-pass to join the silk board junction while traveling from Bannerghatta road. This section of the road that intersects the main road is very busy during peak hours. Cops are physically required to manage the traffic as most of the commuters don’t care to listen to them. So does this tempo that is parked often during the morning peak traffic hours.

While the cops are happy to control the traffic with their “stop and go” signs, they fail to address such basics that will help the cause. Also these vehicles are used for transporting chicken. Hence they emit a strong foul odor for the passers-by. Something even a school going child will question….

Extra Large Foot Path and Silk

“Silkboard”, a name synonymous to worst traffic during peak hours in Bangalore. This is one place which I have been often visiting since my first visit to Bangalore during my college days. I also nicknamed it as “Silk” as that makes it more appealing It is high time someone chalks out a diet plan for this extra large footpath at this junction.

Practically, when the traffic on the road is more than on the footpath it is better to reduce it size. Please “reduce” and not “remove”. A bonus will be if the railings are added to the footpath.