United Airlines engine failure
The recent United Airlines engine failure causing debris to fall is not the first such incident in the history of aviation (“Pictures: Debris falls from plane during emergency landing near Denver, US”, Gulf News, February 21). Earlier also, dozens of flights were grounded due to negligence and proper maintenance. After this incident, United Airlines immediately decided to ground dozens of Boeing 777 jetliners. Today, the fastest mode of transportation is air travel, and especially during these challenging times, authorities should be more responsible and not add fear into people's minds. The aviation industry should look into the passengers' safety. I appreciate the immediate action taken by United Airlines to induce confidence in its valued customers.
From Mr K Ragavan
Bengaluru, India
India: COVID-19 vaccinations
India is garnering global appreciation by sending vaccines to many countries (“Five Indian states witness surge in daily new COVID-19 cases”, Gulf News, February 20). However, the local vaccination programme within the country is yet very tardy. India has disbursed only 11.1 million vaccines, compared to 60.7 million in the USA, 40.5 million in China, 17.9 million in the UK. India needs to step on the accelerator hard to vaccinate about a million citizens every day. Five private hospitals in Mumbai have recently been permitted to vaccinate their health staff. They should be given the green light to vaccinate the general public too. Large corporations like Tata, Unilever have clinics with medical staff in their offices and factories. These companies should be given adequate vaccines for their doctors to inoculate their managers, staff, and factory workers. In the UAE, many companies made arrangements to inoculate their staff in the office premises. In a large country like India, organising inoculations in offices and factories should be the norm, not the exception. At this rate, inoculating a billion people in India will be a lengthy process. Common citizens are puzzled and frustrated about why the vaccination drive is not in full traction as yet. India must commence vaccination on a 24-hour basis. Keeping awake for a night for a vaccine is better than suffering severe lockdowns.
From Mr Rajendra Aneja
Mumbai, India
BCCI announces T20 squad against England
By and large, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has done a great job in selecting 19 players for the forthcoming five-match T20 series against England. After a spate of flak from all quarters, the selectors wisely included Surya Kumar Yadav and Ishant Kishan, the stars of IPL 13. Though this 19 member squad is a luxury for a home series, keeping in view the COVID-19 situation and obliging some regional boards, this number seems to be apt. We only wish that the new members are not discarded like Dinesh Karthik and Sanju Samson after playing them in one or two games. I feel Ishant Kishan, who is a better wicket-keeper, should get a higher chance than Rishab Pant, who seems to be the permanent keeper in Test matches.
From Mr N V Krishnan
India