KHATI CORNER

Under pressureOdisha police have come under fire for prioritising visibility on social media over presence on the streets, following a surge in crimes across the state. Critics argue that instead of curbing criminal activity, cops focus largely on traffic violations, frequently showcasing these enforcement drives online. Social media users have been quick to troll the police, accusing them of failing to rein in offenders while celebrating minor successes in posts and updates.Showboating Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) has been bragging about its Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC), which is a platform to bring the city under surveillance for public good, including that of a centralized public announcement system. Recently, people got annoyed with BSCL after it failed to inform beforehand as hundreds of city buses went off the roads. The BSCL, which posts photos of its tech-driven centre every now and then, failed when the need arose. Failed experiment Cuttack's commuters are enjoying the full blow of summer heat, courtesy the disappearing sheds at traffic junctions. In an experiment in temporary urban comfort, CMC had installed polythene shelters at traffic junctions to protect motorists from the scorching sun while waiting at signals. Unfortunately, the sheds appeared less prepared for Odisha's weather than the commuters they were meant to protect. After swaying dramatically during every spell of rain and gust of wind some days back, the structures were quietly removed, restoring the city's traffic signals to their original open-air furnace. Now, hundreds of commuters stand roasting under the blazing sun, counting not just seconds for the signal to turn green, but also layers of skin tone lost to the heatwave. Power woesSocial media has been flooded with memes and posts as people protested power cuts and low voltage issue. While some urged the govt to look into the problem, others took recourse to sarcasm. One user posted an image of people cooking food in front of the electricity office in Ganjam district. The user hoped energy department would supply electricity to help villagers cook at their place of protest.(Contributed by Team TOI)