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Festivals are marked by cultural activities in which
everyone participates with great enthusiasm. Retired staff
member Sri Jatin Hazarika used to take active part as
Secretary of the working committees for such functions.
He ensured that popular local artistes, such as noted
singer Debojit Bordoloi from Margherita, were invited
to entertain the audience.
All three retired stalwarts are delighted to see the ‘bazaar’
bus which used to run between Baghjan and Doom
Dooma town in their time, still going strong!
There have been many changes in the estate since their
time, mostly for the better. The hospital is well equipped
and looks after the health of the workers, staff and
executives of the estate. Various medical and health
awareness camps are held throughout the year, addressing
issues such as Eye Care & Cataract Screening,
Tuberculosis detection and treatment, Family Welfare,
Maternal Nutrition, and Child Care. An annual Baby
Show ensures that babies are brought to the hospital to
have their height, weight and general health checked
regularly.The hospital bagged the Best Hospital Award
(South Bank) for the year 2012-13.
Responsible and mature women from each of the Lines
are chosen as members of the Mothers’ Club. They are
actively involved in various social and community welfare
activities and are of tremendous help to the medical team
in spreading awareness about important health and
hygiene issues in the Lines.
The estate has two central and two mobile crèches, each
with dependable attendants who take care of babies with
working mothers, while the children of school-going age
are educated in the two LP Schools – one in each Division.
The attendant at the North Side crèche, Smti Kumodini
Johan, is affectionately known as Miss India for her
zealous work as a social activist who has been
instrumental in spreading awareness about environment
issues among the workforce.
The church just opposite the
crèche in North Division and
the temple facing the entrance
to the estate are the main places of worship among the
populace.
The Adolescent Girls’ Club formed under the ABITA-
UNICEF Child Protection Programme offers valuable
guidance to pre-teen and teenage girls on the estate,
addressing issues that affect them and providing them
with a protective environment. So far, the issues discussed
are the prevention of Child Labour, Child Marriage,
Trafficking, Exploitation and health concerns. Advice is
given on their rights as citizens, developing talents and
skills, education and nutrition. Apart from creating
awareness towards these relevant issues, the girls are also
encouraged to participate in skits, dancing and recitation
competitions in order to develop their talents and self-
confidence.
The estate propagates practices that encourage
conservation of natural resources and environment
protection, such as afforestation, the planting of shade
and tea nurseries, water management, the protection of
water bodies, rehabilitation of wild animals and the
production of organic manures.
Vermi-compost pits within the nursery premises yield
enough manure to enrich the soil in rehabilitation areas.
Apart from bamboo groves, and well maintained clonal
tea and shade nurseries, old trees are preserved and
venerated by the workers, while new trees are planted in
available areas. Sri Dharamdas
Elizabeth, dubbed the ‘Green Man of
North Side’ by the management, is the
person called upon to plant the first
shade sapling, tea plant or tree.
A Worker’s Home & Front Yard
Bazaar Bus
Health Care & Awareness
North Side Crèche & (inset) Smti Kumodini Johan
Adolescent Girls’ Club Activities
Places of Worship
Venerable Old Trees
06 January 2016
January 2016 07