Serendipity : Musings of an Islander

Kadakachang Bridge cum Sluice Gate The bridge cum sluice gate at Kadakachang which got severely damaged by the 2004 Great Sumatra - Andaman earthquake triggered tsunami, finally has been rebuilt. As of now the finishing work is in progress. Once formally opened, the decade and a half long wait for the residents of rural South Andaman would come to an end. Earlier posts on the issue : The day stands still for K adakachang B ridge cum S luice gate https://debkumarbhadra.blogspot.com /2016/01/ the-day-stands-still-for-kadakachang.html Featured in the S pecial E dition of T he A ndaman E xpress dated 26/01/2016 6 Y ears is too long a wait https://debkumarbhadra.blogspot.com /2011/11/6 -years-and-counting.html Featured in the L ight of A ndamans dated 09/09/2011 The I nconvenient T ruth https://debkumarbhadra.blogspot.com/2011/08/inconvenient-truth.html Featured in the P ort B lair edition of E cho of I ndia dated 11/08/2011

Cable TV Conundrum : Monopoly sends customer to face blacked-out tv screens in contravention of TRAI regulation. By Debkumar Bhadra As far as delivery of services in these islands are concerned, it is no secret that customers had been getting a raw deal since choice in almost cent per cent cases is limited to single operator/service provider. Be it T elecom, I nternet, LPG , POL or C able TV N etworks “take it or leave it” is the regime that is in vogue in this monopolistic region. In a bid to dismantle the status quo in the broadcasting and cable service sector, the regulatory body T elecom R egulatory A uthority of I ndia (TRAI) way back in M arch 2017 , mandated compulsory switchover from analog to digitally addressable systems (DAS) for cable networks. However, finding that the stated objectives viz transparency and real choice to consumers, weren’t met, TRAI initiated a comprehensive review of the entire framework and came up with a completely new tariff regi...

Helmet compulsory for pillion riders: Necessarily an Un-necessary stipulation By DebkumarBhadra I cannot agree more that whenever a problem is brought to the notice of those at the helm, they don’t have to look anywhere or consult anyone. What they simply need to do is “jerk their knee” and dish out solution stunning everyone right from those at the lowest rung to the seasoned experts. No matter if the attempted solution proves to be far more calamitous than the problem itself, but they just do it. To give an idea of what I am trying to say, let me quote the example originated in an anecdote, set at the time of British rule of India which came to be known as cobra effect . Concerned about the presence of venomous cobra snakes in Delhi, the government of the day came up with a novel solution offering bounty for every dead cobra. Initially this was a successful strategy as large numbers of snakes were killed for the reward. H...