While the mumbaikars have the knack of coming through difficult situations they also several bad traits. One of them is keeping the city unclean. There are several slogans/proverbs likes of Cleanliness is next to godliness; Clean Mumbai, Green Mumbai which absolutely make no sense to mumbaikars.
Slogan of Mumbai should be as under:
"We mumbaikars take it upon us to make sure that all corners in all public places are dirtied red by spitting gutkha, it is our responsibility to throw waste papers, gutkha wrappers and biscuit wrappers out of running trains, taxis, cars and buses. It is imperative that we open the door of our air conditioned car at all traffic signals to spit gutkha on the road"
Mumbaikars, look at what's happening to our city, we have dirtied all public places by plastic litter and dirt. Now that the rains have begun, we cannot miss the stench that this 'Kachra' is creating. We would not be able to survive like this! one day the 'kachra' is going to come into our houses and offices and choke us to our deaths; and righty so, unless we change the way we treat public places and our city in general. Couple of years back this kachra caused immense flooding in the city.
New Local trains were launched in Mumbai recently, nicely coloured in while and light purple; we made it a point to change the colour near the doors and under the windows to red within a weeks time (by spitting gutkha).
This is not done!!!Do we also do this at home???
We mumbaikars should stand up for the cleanliness of the city including the public places.
From today I have decided to boo any person spitting at public places or throwing dirt or answering natures calls on walls. I would also try to direct them to the nearest dustbin/loo.
Urge all to join me in this drive and keep our home, i.e. the city, clean.
P.s. Gutkha is a chewable mixture mainly containing tobacco, which has to be chewed and then spit as it is not potable...Kachra in local language means waste.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
heavy rains in Mumbai
Heavy rains have hit Mumbai, quite sooner than expected...Accompanied by gusty wind blowing at 20-25 kms per hour. Something which mumbaikars have experienced rarely and possibly never on the 3rd day of the monsoons. Year by year the climate is getting harsher...winters have got colder, summers are hotter and monsoons are more fierce...
Worry is a repeat of what happened on 26th July 2005 when the city experienced the highest downpour in 100 years. While the municipal corporation claims to be 100% ready for the monsoons, the roads and the drains do not indicate the same. There are huge pot holes on roads...water clogging on the roads due to level differences and clogged drains. Time will tell how the municipal corporation would fare in this years monsoon exam...
People of Mumbai have the knack of getting ahead of the most difficult of situations in a very short span of time. 2005 it was the flooding on 26th July, on 28th July lives were back on track...Thats what I like the most about this city and hence would love to stay here all my life inspite of the potholes, clogged drains, heavy traffic, pollution, population etc...
Hats off to Mumbai and the spirit of mumbaikars...
Also this an excellent time to sit in a lounge chair reading a book with kanda bhaji (Onion pakoda) and adrak wali chai (tea flavoured with ginger)...Hope I would be able to enjoy that today...
Worry is a repeat of what happened on 26th July 2005 when the city experienced the highest downpour in 100 years. While the municipal corporation claims to be 100% ready for the monsoons, the roads and the drains do not indicate the same. There are huge pot holes on roads...water clogging on the roads due to level differences and clogged drains. Time will tell how the municipal corporation would fare in this years monsoon exam...
People of Mumbai have the knack of getting ahead of the most difficult of situations in a very short span of time. 2005 it was the flooding on 26th July, on 28th July lives were back on track...Thats what I like the most about this city and hence would love to stay here all my life inspite of the potholes, clogged drains, heavy traffic, pollution, population etc...
Hats off to Mumbai and the spirit of mumbaikars...
Also this an excellent time to sit in a lounge chair reading a book with kanda bhaji (Onion pakoda) and adrak wali chai (tea flavoured with ginger)...Hope I would be able to enjoy that today...
Friday, June 6, 2008
Govt explains fuel price hike
Hi,
evening before last, the honourable prime minister of India addressed the nation ragarding the fuel hike by 10% effective 5th June. The way he placed forth the issue was very admirable and I completely agree with the governments decision to hike the prices and the views expressed in the address. In fact I feel that this could have been done at an annual rate of 4-5% for the last 3-4 years to avoid this sudden shock. At least in future the government should mark the domestic fuel rates to the internation crude oil prices.
The crude oil price has increased from $39 for a barrel in 2004 to $130 for a barrel in 2008. The petrol, diesel, LPG, kerosene et al has not gone up anywhere near that.
The deficit in the proces was borne by the government and the oil companies. Had the government not hiked the price the economy would have borne the brunt. The oil companies would have been in doldrums. This price hike is covering only 10% of the actual deficit, the rest is still bridged by the oil companies backed by the government.
It is imperative that we as responsible citizens of this nation take the hint and look for ways and means of saving fuel. Starting from using public transport...at least pooling cars. This would help our nation come out of this oil crisis.
We should also think of our future generations, if we use up all the available fuel they would have none!!! Imagine your great grand children taking a bullock cart to school as there is no more diesel...or imagine your grand children riding horses or walking to work...People would die of heart attacks as there would be no means to transport them to the hospital. We should extend this to all resources...electricity, water, food...should use all resources frugally and ensure that nothing is wasted.
It is also noteworthy that we as end consumers of fuel pay huge state government taxes in form of VAT and octroi. It is now in the hands of the state governments to cushion us against this. Let us see how things turn out.
evening before last, the honourable prime minister of India addressed the nation ragarding the fuel hike by 10% effective 5th June. The way he placed forth the issue was very admirable and I completely agree with the governments decision to hike the prices and the views expressed in the address. In fact I feel that this could have been done at an annual rate of 4-5% for the last 3-4 years to avoid this sudden shock. At least in future the government should mark the domestic fuel rates to the internation crude oil prices.
The crude oil price has increased from $39 for a barrel in 2004 to $130 for a barrel in 2008. The petrol, diesel, LPG, kerosene et al has not gone up anywhere near that.
The deficit in the proces was borne by the government and the oil companies. Had the government not hiked the price the economy would have borne the brunt. The oil companies would have been in doldrums. This price hike is covering only 10% of the actual deficit, the rest is still bridged by the oil companies backed by the government.
It is imperative that we as responsible citizens of this nation take the hint and look for ways and means of saving fuel. Starting from using public transport...at least pooling cars. This would help our nation come out of this oil crisis.
We should also think of our future generations, if we use up all the available fuel they would have none!!! Imagine your great grand children taking a bullock cart to school as there is no more diesel...or imagine your grand children riding horses or walking to work...People would die of heart attacks as there would be no means to transport them to the hospital. We should extend this to all resources...electricity, water, food...should use all resources frugally and ensure that nothing is wasted.
It is also noteworthy that we as end consumers of fuel pay huge state government taxes in form of VAT and octroi. It is now in the hands of the state governments to cushion us against this. Let us see how things turn out.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
fuel price rise
Hi,
Indian government has announced a 10% fuel price hike, they would explain the reasons behind this later in the day.
In a way this was a good move, there was no point in over burdening the oil companies. with crude oil prices rising by 35% in last one year a fuel price hike of 10% seems ok.
This should have an adverse impact on the Indian economy in the near future as inflation, which has currently crossed 8%, would shoot up further as tranportation costs, mainly food and utilities, would go up. In the long run however it should get settled.
Have a different view on subsidy on diesel: The subsidy should be applicable to only tranporters while private car owners should pay the full cost of diesel. This I feel would be healthy for the economy as on one hand we are trying to curtail inflation by subsidising diesel at the cost of other economic sectors, while on the other hand the subsidy is being used by the private car owners. In a way the tax payers money is going into the pockets of a rich guy driving a diesel powered mercedes or toyota and not benefitting the masses. The rich would keep getting richer as the poor keep getting poorer. Feel that this is incorrect and that the government should change in stand on subsidy of diesel or increase taxes/duties on sale of diesel powered private cars so that this anomaly is removed.
Indian government has announced a 10% fuel price hike, they would explain the reasons behind this later in the day.
In a way this was a good move, there was no point in over burdening the oil companies. with crude oil prices rising by 35% in last one year a fuel price hike of 10% seems ok.
This should have an adverse impact on the Indian economy in the near future as inflation, which has currently crossed 8%, would shoot up further as tranportation costs, mainly food and utilities, would go up. In the long run however it should get settled.
Have a different view on subsidy on diesel: The subsidy should be applicable to only tranporters while private car owners should pay the full cost of diesel. This I feel would be healthy for the economy as on one hand we are trying to curtail inflation by subsidising diesel at the cost of other economic sectors, while on the other hand the subsidy is being used by the private car owners. In a way the tax payers money is going into the pockets of a rich guy driving a diesel powered mercedes or toyota and not benefitting the masses. The rich would keep getting richer as the poor keep getting poorer. Feel that this is incorrect and that the government should change in stand on subsidy of diesel or increase taxes/duties on sale of diesel powered private cars so that this anomaly is removed.
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