HELPLESS OFFICIALS: My younger brother passed away recently in our native village Umar Bhayo, in Dokri taluka of Larkana district. A number of villages, including ours, have remained infested with mosquitoes since the monsoon this year. Villagers pass sleepless nights and suffer from mosquito-borne diseases.

District health of ficers (DHOs) say they have been directed not to send fumigation teams to the affected areas. Indeed, it is hard to believe, but if that is actually the case, the local union council chairman should urge all the relevant authorities to take practical steps and provide immediate relief to the local residents.

Kalsoom Abro Islamabad ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUE: As an alumnus of the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) in Islamabad, it hurts to see the image of an esteemed institution getting tarnished so badly. Contrary to popular opinion, ethnic-based student councils are not the primary culprits behind the university`s damaged reputation.

Instead, it is the university administration`s incompetence and lack of accountability within the system that warrant scrutiny. The university administration must first acknowledge its own failures, and then worl( sincerely to address all the relevant issues on the campus.

Zain Natvaz Bhatti Hafizabad ROADS AND TOURISM: My guests from the United States wanted to visit a few well-known tourist resorts in Swat and northern areas. However, we learnt that the roadsleadingtothe resorts had been washed away by heavy rainfall earlier in the season. My guests returned without visiting any of the places they were excited about. Unfortunately, most of the roads across the country have been badly damaged due to the recent rainfall.

There is no doubt that their reconstruction will involve heavy expenditure.

However, one wonders why a proper drainage design is not provided while constructing roads. The authorities must take this issue seriously as the revenue loss due to damaged roads is exorbitant.

Dr Najeeb A. Khan Islamabad