[Assam] Crybaby

Mon Mar 30 20:30:20 PDT 2009

Dilip Da,

I mentioned earlier that my area is flood prone as it is the confluence of Bahini, Mora Bahini and a storm water drain. All of those have lost carrying capacity due to high silting, and dumping of garbage by the citizens.Therefore, I organised a public petition to GMC, GMDA and the concerned ministry. In that petition we requested that any defect in the plan should not cause greater prejudice to some in the locality or worse difficulties later for all. I inserted that sentence, because, I knew the engineers here only know one solution i.e. how to raise road levels to the greater detriment of the people over the years as the immediate consequence is loss of floors of the houses:-) Those floors become relics of Harappan times very soon. 

True to my fears, the GMDA responded by raising the level of the road in the locality by three feet! Some denizens of the locality, who constructed houses later or are capable of infusing money for new constructions, have supported the GMDA engineers' design wheras it is amply clear that unless the water is made to go out of the locality by improving the drainage system, even such higher or newer compounds and houses too will go underground in no time. They have not provided for drains on both sides of the road. The exit drains are now flush and level with the neighbourhood compounds, and rising each year. The fate of the GMDA's plans are too obvious. Ironically, a neighbourhood guy, who managed 'somehow' to complete his engineering diploma and is of considerable means, as he does not have to visit his state government office and the money follows him due to position, is garnering support for this embankment like road that would reduce the
 locality to a stagnating water or cesspool in no time.

I shot off a letter in protest. Asking the GMDA as to what is the maximum height of road level set in Guwahati city localities vis a vis the plinth heights, and that the embankment like road will destroy the locality unless the drains are developed. In response, their engineers too agree that raising the road level may be counter-productive, and is talking of reducing the proposed level a bit to placate me!  I see an emerging unholy nexus among the engineers, the implementing contractors and a few uneducated vested interests (though a few of them are engineers of Guwahati) in the locality and I do not know how far I shall be effective.

Under the circumstance,  do you expect that  Guwahati citizens shall work as hawk-eyed monitors upholding the cause of greatest common good?

Prayers: My exit route is, I want to convert my ground floor( which is above ground now) into a water proof basement so that I need not worry about drain water flooding my office for a long time to come. Does anyone have any sage advice to me  in this respect as I am not an engineer? And can anyone point to low cost and sure-shot technology so that I can save myself a bit?

 I do not have faith in Guwahati engineers either, just like Chandan Da says. Except reducing themselves to money-spinners, they have lost all faculties to think or imagine. There are some honest work-horses in every deptt. and they are keeping the things going like the 'kopling  siga rail'.

Uttam Kumar Borthakur

________________________________
From: Dilip and Dil Deka <dilipdeka at yahoo.com>
To: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world <assam at assamnet.org>
Sent: Monday, 30 March, 2009 8:15:08 PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Crybaby

Uttam,
Based on earlier experience, the projection is bleak.
However there can always be a fresh start. If the citizens demand accountability in the form of frequent project reports on cost, schedule and cash flow, from the project executives on big projects, there will be some rude awakening. Some executives will want to take the shortcut of putting numbers on a website. The citizens should not let it go at that, they must demand public meetings where the project executives will make the presentations and take questions from the public and the press. Once started, the trend will be set.

Crying for accountability in general, without any specific plan, will not produce resullts. The senior citizens of Assam can play a big role in getting specific actions started if they care. They have the time and the knowledge to get the process started. It just takes the will to do it.

Dilipda

________________________________
From: uttam borthakur <uttamborthakur at yahoo.co.in>
To: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world <assam at assamnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2009 10:34:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Crybaby

Chandan da:

I'll be a bit free after 31. Shall discuss it later:-)

Uttam Kumar Borthakur

________________________________
From: Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net>
To: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the world <assam at assamnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, 29 March, 2009 7:51:04 PM
Subject: Re: [Assam] Crybaby

Hi U:

> What would be the projection based on earlier experiences?

*** I am not into predictions :-). But since you ask, considering recent performance, it is not MUCH ! I have little hope or faith in the system  that has given our people what it has thus far.

How do YOU see it?

c-da

At 9:46 PM +0530 3/28/09, uttam borthakur wrote:
> Chandan Da,
> 
> I am bit unwilling to join in the discussions right now. But I want to inform you and others of this forum that Guwahati is getting Rs.1681 crores from Japan. 90% will be repaid by Union Government. 10% is state government liability @ 1% for 30 years. It is for northern and central south portion of Guwahati to ensure 100% water supply coverage. Incidentally, an Assamse Sri Sanjay Krishna, an IAS officer, has signed the agreement for GOI.
> 
> What would be the projection based on earlier experiences?
>  
> Uttam Kumar Borthakur
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net>
> To: chittaranjan paTHAK <c_pathak at hotmail.com>; assam <assam at assamnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, 28 March, 2009 6:57:09 PM
> Subject: Re: [Assam] Crybaby
> 
> A quick one here Chitta:
> 
> 
>>  I found the piece by Shri Arup Dutta very relevant- presented a proper commentry. Did you not find it >aggreable?
> 
> 
> *** There was nothing to be agreeable about.  Whining, like Dutta was, or some of our friends do here in this forum leads to nothing. It would be of consequence if , instead of whining, one attempts to delineate the PROBLEMS, explore their causes, and attempts to find solutions for them.
> 
> I am surprised, that as an engineer, you were satisfied merely with the whining.
> 
> 
>>  >Given the fact most of the Guwahatians are Assamese and PWD enginners are almost 100% Asomiya enginner, where is the difference between what you and Shri dutta said? As I see it, he talked about whole of Assamese people , your condemnation was limited to only Guwahatians.
> 
> 
> *** I was not condemning the Assameseness of Guahatians.  I was specific about the failures of PWD engineers ( along with their political masters) who DESIGNED and BUILT the most atrocious of urban roads, sidewalks and non-drainage system  that afflicts Guahati today; while its citizenry remained silent
> spectators or inconsequential to its outcome.
> 
> Now there are good reasons for it. Can you imagine what they might be? Are you willing to dig into them? Why it happens?
> 
> Manoj chimed in to tell us that IF they wished , they could do better. To prove his point he named  an engineer who built good road systems sometime in a hoary past that still remain solidly serviceable.
> 
> The inference we should draw, from that is that Guahati PWD engineers and the accomplices do not  wish to perform their duties. Why is that so?  Is it because  the Assamese are genetically handicapped?
> Or is it because the Guahatians are so? Or could there be more intelligent  inferences to be drawn?
> 
> I ask the questions to help you think it thru. Now don't go silent and tell us why you think things are the way they are.
> 
> Finally, the designs of the roads, sidewalks, manholes, drainage inlets and other accessories that HAVE BEEN built  could not possibly have been designed by anybody with any engineering training.
> Do you disagree?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At 8:57 AM +0000 3/28/09, chittaranjan paTHAK wrote:
>>  Mahanta da,
>>  I found the piece by Shri Arup Dutta very relevant- presented a proper commentry. Did you not find it aggreable?
>> 
>>  On Guwahati's people, this is what you said (while supporting the excellant piece by S Baruah)
>> 
>>  " I have absolutely no respect, not even an itty-bitty tiny speck of
>>  it, for Guwahati PWD engineers! They are the most useless lot if
>>  there ever was any.. It is an insult to the profession of engineering
>>  to call themselves engineers! I am sure they are compromised by their
>>  political masters, but that is no excuse to let the kind of things
>>  constructed as they did. Finally, I must also say that the people of Guwahati  are such an
>  > apathetic lot, that they take it all lying down!"
>> 
>>  Given the fact most of the Guwahatians are Assamese and PWD enginners are almost 100% Asomiya enginner, where is the difference between what you and Shri dutta said? As I see it, he talked about whole of Assamese people , your condemnation was limited to only Guwahatians.
>> 
>>  Regards
>> 
>>  Chitta
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>  Make the most of what you can do on your PC and the Web, just the way you want. <http://www.get.live.com/wl/all>Windows Live
> _______________________________________________
> assam mailing list
> assam at assamnet.org
> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> 
> 
> 
>      Bollywood news, movie reviews, film trailers and more! Go to http://in.movies..yahoo.com/
> _______________________________________________
> assam mailing list
> assam at assamnet.org
> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org

_______________________________________________
assam mailing list
assam at assamnet.org
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org

      Bollywood news, movie reviews, film trailers and more! Go to http://in.movies.yahoo.com/
_______________________________________________
assam mailing list
assam at assamnet..org
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
_______________________________________________
assam mailing list
assam at assamnet.org
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org

      Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com/invite/