With reference to "Flood fury" (August 1), it is highly intriguing to observe that the entire nation currently faces nature's fury in the form of the widespread floods. The flooding of vast areas across the country has become more of an annual ritual. It is important to point out that some parts are still confronted with the problem of scanty rainfall at the same time. The editorial disturbingly reveals that along with lightning strikes, the floods have claimed 85 lives in the last few days in Assam, Bihar and Odisha. There are also reports about the displacement of an estimated 6.8 million people.Media reports have also shown the pathetic conditions prevailing in some of the nation's "smart cities" such as New Delhi, Bengaluru and Gurgaon soon after rainfall, which reflect the abject failure of the respective administrations. The prolonged traffic jam faced by motorists in Gurgaon was unprecedented, and left the state government red-faced owing to its inability to resolve the problem

Letters: Bowing to nature's fury

Business Standard

With reference to "Flood fury" (August 1) rains are always a test of the quality of urban infrastructure. The country does not seem to draw any lessons from each instance of floods - be it in Kashmir, Chennai or even Uttarakhand. Gurgaon is seen as a "slum of the rich" - a town of the affluent but with poor infrastructure. Seventy per cent of its water needs are being met from below ground which has led to a sharp decline in the water table in the last 20 years, while only 40 per cent of the town has sewer lines. As for Bengaluru, a 1005 per cent increase in concretisation (paved surfaces) during 1973-2016 has resulted in an adverse impact on the garden city's wetlands, green spaces and groundwater levels. No wonder, both the cities sank.One wonders when elementary sense will dawn on our cities to stop encroachment on spaces like catchment areas and wetlands that are meant to receive floodwaters and replenish groundwater. Drains have to be regularly de-silted and cleared of plastic so

Letters: Poor infrastructure

For MSEs, the promoter is the bank to bank on

Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are typically promoter-driven, be it operations or financing. A CRISIL study of 6,000 MSEs shows that promoters contribute 50-60 per cent of the net working capital requirement - or twice what they are supposed to contribute - because of restricted access to formal financial institutions.Delays in receivables is a widespread affliction in the sector, which forces promoters to regularly infuse funds to keep the operations going and manage cash flow mismatches. While the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, stipulates that receivables of MSEs must be limited to 45 days, CRISIL's analysis shows the average is closer to 65 days.Promoters have to also infuse funds during business exigencies such as unexpected spikes in raw material prices, foreign exchange losses, unanticipated large orders, or delays in insurance claims after calamities such as floods or fire or strikes - and ensure timely production and deliveries.Additionally, MSE

With reference to "Breaking the cycle of drought and flood" (August 1), the idea conceived to mitigate the misery of drought and flood by enhancing storage of water bodies for fish rearing could definitely work as a boon. The biggest problem in this regard is lack of coordination between the government and the people. Most states have set up departments of fisheries to promote pisciculture. Their function is to steer sustainable growth of fisheries. However, governments have failed to delivering benefits as envisaged. Among the states, Kerala leads in fisheries on account of efficient use of water, fish and human resources. Fish conservation should also be made a part of water management.Sushil Bakliwal JaipurLetters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:The Editor, Business StandardNehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar MargNew Delhi 110 002Fax: (011) 23720201E-mail: letters@bsmail.inAll letters must have a postal address and telephone number

Letters: Fish conservation

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Despite the clamour for an interest rate cut, the RBI left its benchmark repo rate unchanged at 6.5% during the earlier monetary policy review, on June 7

StatsGuru: Is there a case for cutting interest rates?

Final leg of monsoon session

The Monsoon session is left with 10 sittings and concludes on August 12

Case study

Business Standard analyses one family's finances and suggests a way forward

Realty check: Budget - Rs 1-2 crore

Business Standard brings you a snapshot of average current rates and unit sizes in localities that offer property in the price range of Rs 1 crore and Rs 2 crore

The growth of ultra high net worth households (UHNHs) slowed down in 2015-16, growing at seven per cent, compared with 17 per cent in the previous year. Such households recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16 per cent in the past five years, according to Kotak Wealth Management's report 'Top of the Pyramid 2016'

Data Tracker: Tracking the ultra rich

Apropos of "CAG on coal, again" (July 28), you have correctly asserted that the point of an auction is to ensure wide and transparent competition

Letters: Not arbitrary or irrational

Apropos of "Hillary's Everests" (July 29) on the "strong endorsement" Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has received from Barack Obama

Letters: Hillary's ascent

Former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy surprised passengers in a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus travelling from Kollam to Thiruvananthapuram last week

A bus ride to remember

Last Friday, Gurgaon, on the outskirts of Delhi, came to a standstill when heavy rains clogged most major roads connecting it to the capital

Much water under the bridge

Residents in a little-known village near Lucknow, Jabrouli, are in a celebratory mood. Some are distributing laddus; some others are praying

Celebration time

Co-ordination by Centre needed to mitigate its impact

Flood fury

Regulate taxi aggregators to improve services

End the confusion

SS Ahluwalia, a four-term Rajya Sabha member and current Lok Sabha MP from Darjeeling, is known for his near-encyclopaedic knowledge of parliamentary procedures

How a phone call disrupted disruptive MP for a day

Sheila Dikshit is nearly 80. Is she the right person to become chief minister of Uttar Pradesh? Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said at a rally in Lucknow: "People of Delhi ask: what did we do wrong? When Sheilaji was in place, it looked as if the government was functioning. Now all you see is drama and MLAs going to jail."Guess what he said next? "As chief minister Sheilaji transformed Delhi. She represents the thinking of the Congress. Her heart is with the Congress. That is why she has been sent here." Is that why when she won Delhi for the second time in a row Dikshit was kept waiting for over 10 days before the party high command named her CM?

Loyal Congress chief minister-in-waiting

Facebook's Aquila set to change equations

Inclusive internet

Success eludes businesses in succession

Business Standard looks at some large corporate groups and how they handled their successions

Strong endorsement from Mr Obama may help Ms Clinton

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