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By:

Rajendra Joshi

3 December 2024 at 9:20:26 am

Blocked roads take life

Kolhapur: Ten minutes. That is the gap the family of Nalini Ganesh Mainkar says may have separated life from death. On Tuesday, as preparations for Ganeshotsav gathered pace in Kolhapur, Mainkar, a resident of Wangibol in Shivaji Peth, suddenly fell critically ill after her blood pressure dropped. Her family immediately called an ambulance. The ambulance came. But it could not reach her home without delay. According to the family and the ambulance driver, roads were blocked at two or three...

Blocked roads take life

Kolhapur: Ten minutes. That is the gap the family of Nalini Ganesh Mainkar says may have separated life from death. On Tuesday, as preparations for Ganeshotsav gathered pace in Kolhapur, Mainkar, a resident of Wangibol in Shivaji Peth, suddenly fell critically ill after her blood pressure dropped. Her family immediately called an ambulance. The ambulance came. But it could not reach her home without delay. According to the family and the ambulance driver, roads were blocked at two or three locations by festival pandals, forcing the ambulance to negotiate alternative routes. By the time Mainkar was taken to hospital, doctors reportedly told the family that she had arrived about 10 minutes late. She died soon afterwards. For the Mainkar family, those 10 minutes are now an unbearable question: could she have survived if the ambulance had reached her on time? No medical conclusion establishing that link has been made public. But the incident has exposed a larger and recurring civic failure—the vulnerability of emergency services when public roads are allowed to become festival spaces. Mainkar lived barely a few minutes away from the Ambabai temple and had served there as a sevekari for several years. On Tuesday, her family watched helplessly as her condition deteriorated while the ambulance struggled to reach the house. The ambulance driver, the family said, acknowledged that the vehicle was delayed because of obstructions created by pandals at multiple points. No Implementation The Kolhapur Municipal Corporation has stipulated that a public festival pandal cannot occupy more than 25 per cent of the width of a road. The regulation is intended to ensure that traffic, pedestrians and emergency vehicles can continue to move. But on the ground, residents say, the distinction between a permitted pandal and a blocked road often disappears. In several parts of the old city, particularly the gaothan areas, festival structures have narrowed or closed roads. In other places, roads have been dug up for drainage and civic works. The result is a maze of bottlenecks at precisely the time when emergency vehicles need unobstructed access. The problem does not end with pandals. During festival processions, arrangements for dedicated passage of ambulances and fire engines are often inadequate. A traffic diversion that causes a commuter a few minutes of inconvenience can have an entirely different consequence for a patient suffering a cardiac emergency, major trauma or respiratory distress.

Fifty Stories, Countless Journeys

Writer: Archita Redkar
Archita Redkar
7 days ago
4 min read

Travel does not merely allow us to see the world; it changes something within us and makes us feel more complete.

Writing fifty articles in a row was never part of a carefully planned decision. It simply happened. What began as a small wish to share my experiences and travel information became a meaningful journey. The encouragement of my readers, support of those around me and, above all, my desire to share my travel stories kept inspiring me.


I feel like a person carrying many dreams in her heart, and I believe some will come true. Perhaps this is only the beginning, because one lifetime is never enough to experience everything our wonderful planet offers.


Our world is filled with continents, countries, states, villages and towns, each with its own character and charm. Its forests, oceans, rivers, mountains, flora, fauna, cultures, traditions, languages and cuisines make every destination unique. Reading about places can be fascinating, but experiencing them personally creates a deeper connection. Travel changes something within us and makes us feel more complete.


Some of my most cherished memories involve my dear co-travellers, including my parents. Their excitement, laughter, discoveries and innocent reactions have been among the most mesmerising parts of this journey. They remind me that travel is not only about destinations, but also about the people who share the journey and the memories we create. Writing allows me to preserve those memories.


One such story takes me back to 2010, when I travelled with a group to Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. It was my first significant experience as a tour leader. I assisted my senior, learnt the practical details of group travel and observed carefully. The group included people from different backgrounds and with varying travel experiences.


Some were travelling abroad for the first time, many from smaller towns and rural areas of India where international travel had seemed distant. Airports, aircraft, escalators, large shopping malls, clean streets, public transport and organised queues were extraordinary to them. Others were experienced international travellers, comfortable with airports, foreign currencies and public transport. This contrast made the group lively, with everyone seeing the same destinations differently.


In 2010, facilities that seem ordinary today could appear magical to first-time travellers. Singapore’s MRT was one example: regular trains, clearly marked stations and an efficient system allowed them to travel confidently. Escalators were memorable too, with people standing on one side to let others pass, while drivers slowed down for pedestrians at crossings. Clean public toilets in airports, shopping centres, railway stations and tourist attractions showed that basic facilities could be maintained with dignity and care. Drinking water fountains, automatic ticket machines, clear signs, organised queues and cashless payments demonstrated how thoughtful systems could make daily life easier.


These experiences showed travellers that societies can function differently and that there is no single way to live, work or organise a community. Travel encourages us to observe without judgement and appreciate possibilities beyond familiar surroundings.


The most beautiful part was watching first-time travellers gain confidence. Initially, many depended on others and were unsure where to stand, which train to take, how to use ticket machines or find their hotel rooms. Gradually, they began observing, trying things independently and helping one another.


By the end, some confidently navigated airports and shopping centres, handled foreign currency, ordered food and found their way around unfamiliar places. One traveller who had hardly travelled outside India became so comfortable that she began helping others with airport procedures and public transport. Another had believed international travel was only for people with greater wealth, education or opportunity. The journey changed her understanding of herself and showed her that she too could dream bigger.


She returned with photographs, souvenirs and wonderful memories, but her greatest achievement was her confidence. That is the true power of travel: it can take us from one version of ourselves to a stronger and more confident one.


Looking back, I realise that being a tour leader was never only about taking people from one sightseeing point to another. It was about watching dreams become reality, seeing eyes light up at unfamiliar sights, solving problems, sharing laughter and witnessing people absorb the beauty of a new place.


That first group in 2010 taught me never to underestimate the power of a dream. To date, I have done more than 500 tours and travelled to 23 countries because of my profession and passion.


I continue to love travel because there are countless places to see, people to meet and stories to share. I continue to write because every journey leaves behind a memory worth preserving. This fiftieth article is not an ending but a celebration of the roads already travelled and the many journeys still waiting ahead.


Fifty travel stories have been written, yet the world remains vast, beautiful and full of unforgettable journeys waiting to begin.


 (The writer is a tourism professional and runs a company, Global Voyages. She could be contacted at goglobalvoyages@gmail.com. Views personal.)

 

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