The Palampur bypass

We all know only too well how badly our Palampur town is heaving and groaning under the weight of ever-burgeoning traffic. It is a nightmare to drive through the main bazaar and the very thought of having to pass through it makes you suddenly jittery and tense. And if you have been able to do your day’s market errand with your vehicle and body/limb intact, you heave a sigh of relief and count yourself lucky. Well, to be fair, not just Palampur, but almost each of our cities and towns has, likewise, turned into a congested, crowded, noisy, ugly maze, quite hazardous to drive through. Therefore all the Palampurwallas rejoiced with relief when a few years back, a bypass stretching from near the Forest Rest House (FRH) and joining the main road near the IPH Rest House was upgraded and put into use to regulate/divert traffic. It was indeed a commendable and a  bold initiative by the then SDM and the DC, Kangra, with active support from the political leadership of the town in the face of stiff resistance by certain sections. Thus the long sought after answer to usher in a one-way-traffic regimen in the Palampur town became a welcome reality.  At once the traffic pressure was eased. Now the 4-wheelers were to pass through the main bazaar in one direction from North to South- towards Maranda. Vehicles coming from the opposite direction were to take the diversion from the IPH rest house- the bypass that is. Though the two-wheelers were exempted from this regulation – I wonder why – the relief and ease of driving through the bazaar resulting from this was palpably obvious. Effective monitoring made the flow of traffic a smooth affair. But can we…can we Indians…stay constrained within the confines of law and regulation for long? As strict monitoring relaxed, people intending to go towards Maranda side started using the bypass from the ‘no-entry’ point (near the FRH) as a convenient short-cut to avoid the hassle of driving through the bazaar, caring too hoots for the new stipulation. And now? Now it is a free-for-all kind of situation for vehicles of all descriptions. Flouters merrily drive through the bypass from the wrong side with brazen impunity, creating traffic jams even on this road! I have myself seen with shock and horror (and even been caught in a jam) city’s advocates, university professors and the other elite of the town shamelessly passing by...and with a straight face.My friend Dr R G Sud suffering the same fate as I did has this to say:

Entering the bypass, one is shocked to see all kinds of vehicles coming from the opposite (restricted side). The bypass is fast becoming a nuisance for an honest, law-abiding citizen. The menace will become more alarming and needs to be nipped right now. The other day it took me more than half an hour to negotiate this small stretch which normally takes 5 -7 minutes.

I am not here with just a problem but a solution too. 
The local civil administration should:

1.   Put a bigger signboard than the one now in existence.

2.  Should deploy traffic cops at the entry point. He/she should turn away the intending transgressors with a warning not to repeat to avoid penalty next time.

3. Later, strict penalty should be imposed on any and every one without    exception, and a stiffer one on habitual offenders.

Apt suggestions, these. And the ball is now in our SDM’s and policewallas’ court. Though I would add further that the citizenry should lend a helping hand too by acting and behaving responsibly and showing deference for the law and regulation. We should also not hesitate to politely point out, protest and object to such kind of violations whenever and wherever we can.

Let’s abide by the law. Let’s make our Palampur clean, green, beautiful. 
Today,  the 22nd April, by the way, is the 'Earth Day'. Let's all resolve to make it happen.

Showing scant regard for the regulation, the vehicles drive past the BSNL building 

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Quotes of the week

Era of strategic patience is over

         - US VP Mike Pence to North Korea

Is pre-censorship of films useless in internet era

         - Supreme court to the govt (ToI)

Don't want to hear the Azaan at dawn, nor do I want to hear a Chikni Chameli tuned Ganesh Aarti at dusk.Ban all loudspeakering of religion(sic)

         - Aligarh movie maker Apurva Asrani (The Tribune)

                                                  *

Random news headlines

Climate change is impacting all living beings
          (The Hans India)

Staff leaves ATM van doors open, bikers flee with Rs.27 lakh

          (ET)

3-month old questioned by US embassy over "terror ties": reports

          (NDTV)

New camera may capture distant images without long lens 

          (The IE)

'Crystal clear footage of multiple UFOs' filmed by man driving through desert

           (Express.co.uk)

Married couple struggling to conceive discover they are twins

           (NDTV)

NASA just snapped the first photos of a new crack in one of Greenland's largest glaciers

           (Stuff.co.nz)

Genetic counselling crucial to curb 'bleeding disorder' (haemophilia)

           (ToI)

Wearbale sweat sensor could help diagnose diseases like cystic fibrosis, diabetes

           (HT)

Coping with bad bosses may boost happiness:study

            (DH)

Iraqi boy with eight limbs gets a new life

            (ToI)

Tourist influx triggers chaos in Dharamsala
            (HT) 

Illegal constructions go on in McLeodganj heritage zone
            (The Tribune)

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