Of Strikes, Traffic...and Stink

I was travelling to Kolkata early this week. I landed at around 8.00am, and took a taxi for South Kolkata, which usually takes 45min to an hour. Just as we crossed Science City, the driver slowed down and there was this huge stink. I had just started to wonder, when I realised that there were lorries after lorries loaded with garbage parked on either side of the road. The drivers were preparing for a chakka jam. Somehow we managed to cross the stretch at moderate pace, since it was still early morning by Kolkata standards. But, in my heart of hearts, I was dreading the return by the same route a couple of hours later. I had to be at a conference in Salt Lake.

And my worst fears came true, when we were stuck for almost 3 hours on that road, on our way back. I almost threw up because of the stink, and it was a very humid day.

But the question to which I fail to get an answer is, what purpose was solved by this blockade/ strike. My cab driver was also a Bengali, and he was equally angry. There was wastage of time, fuel, money. The aam janta surely was not sympathising with the strikers. Who likes the stink!!!
And I guess, this can happen only in Bengal.

Jam, Jamming, Jammed!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats what you feel if you venture out on Delhi roads these days. Its raining hard and roads are the worst of worst state and its I- day approaching. So, bad, waterlogged roads now have police barricades.

Today morning while driving to office, the traffic was really slow and as I was chatting to Adesh, I told him I could sense that I am entering a jam. 15 minutes later I told him that I am jamming (already a part of slow moving traffic) and another 10 minutes I was jammed. Traffic was not moving at all. The span that I cover in 20 minutes on a normal day took me an hour and a half. Urghhh!! It is so irritating. And one of the RJs on Radio Mirchi summed it all, ' Aaj Saari dilli Jam hai'. How true! Kya hoga Dilli ka???