Let’s keep Goa clean
Well, we all love going to the beach, from the young to the old and do a lot of activities such as picnics, playing a sport, building sand castles etc. However, lately a lot of garbage is disposed around the beach.
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Let’s ensure that the next time we go, we dispose our garbage properly where it should be and not near the beach or anywhere for that matter, even if we come across garbage that is not ours, let’s dispose it ourselves.
Let’s work together to make Goa green, clean and continue to enjoy nature.
Elroy Lopes, Chinchinim
Is there any land left in Goa?
Last time our TCP minister took a very long time to wake from his deep slumber to scrap IIT at Melauli but this time he was very quick to scrap the amendments to the Land Development and Building Construction Regulations Act. Both decisions were taken after Goans came on the road to open the eyes of the Government.
We would like to remind our Government that our Goa is a beautiful State situated on the banks of Arabian Sea which remains a centre of attraction for every Indian as well as foreign tourists. Goa is known for its beaches. Thousands of tourists come here every month to visit the beautiful plaintiffs. To add further, Goa became a State on May 30, 1987.
At present, Goa has a total of 19 railway stations – 10 Konkan railway stations and nine South West Railway stations. There are 27 trains running across Goa on the existing railway tracks. Goa has got two airports. On the west, the entire coastline is covered by five star hotels. On the east, full area is taken over by mine owners, on the north, Tiracol fort and hotels and on the south, land is taken over by the government for defence purpose and also by ONGC.
How big is our Goa? In spite of all this, is there any place left for golf courses and film cities? And what will happen to our future generations? Where will they build their houses? Has anyone thought of this? Therefore the amendments to the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Act should be completely scraped once for all. Hope better sense will prevail.
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
Are police protecting the noise polluters?
The reporters from the local dailies have been highlighting the noise pollution that has been going on till wee hours of the next day by various night clubs along the coastal belt in Siolim-Anjuna. Repeated complaints by the villagers and students have fallen on deaf ears of the authorities and the police who are allegedly the main protectors of these clubs.
Authorities wash their hands and leave it to the police to monitor and book the violators, the phones are dead or their instruments are defunct. That is the story of good governance and, one wonders how Goa Tourism Dept wins awards.
The tourists are made gods and allowed to do what they want – garbage everywhere, pollution in the rivers, destruction of the environment, traffic jams and violations. And they top it up with an overdose of drugs and noise pollution to deafen ears of the sick senior citizens and students preparing for exams.
The authorities and the clubs need to read about our Prime Minister Narendra Modi who switched off his microphone at 10 pm while he was addressing a rally in Rajasthan. Will our Desh Bhakts follow the rules of the land? Or we need to invite the PM to Goa to give a lesson to these noise polluters and their godfathers?
Gregory E Dsouza, Siolim
Stampede in Indonesia, very sad
The recent stampede at the Kanjuruhan football stadium in East Java, Indonesia, which killed at least 125 people and injured more than 320, was ‘an accident waiting to happen’ according to experts. It is said that creaky facilities at the stadium, archaic policing and fan violence have all combined to produce one of the worst-ever tragedies inside a stadium in the history of Indonesian football, and the third-most deadly such events in a soccer game anywhere in the world.
Supporting football clubs is a way of life in Indonesia. But over the years, reportedly the country has also become one of the most violent places to watch the game, with around 80 deaths taking place in football stadiums over the last few decades.
Indonesian football has also been afflicted with trouble on the international stage. In September 2019 Malaysian fans were threatened and pelted with projectiles at a world cup qualifier in Jakarta, forcing Malaysia’s visiting sports minister to be evacuated from the stadium. Proudly enough, Indonesia was the first Asian team ever to represent in a soccer world cup in 1938.
But, despite having an unflinching passion for the sport, the country has never returned to the global stage due to years of corruption, violence and mismanagement of the game.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Demolished stalls reappear in Ponda
This has reference to the report ‘Ponda vendors surprised as 8 demolished stalls reappear’ (Herald October 4, 2022). Surprising? They shouldn’t be, well, this should be the normal routine. Stalls appear overnight, they stay on for some time, they get demolished and then resurrect once again. This is the normal practice in cities like Mumbai.
The hawkers/vendors will set up their stalls, customers will complain but they will also patronise them, and life goes on. Like they say, everybody has to earn their livelihood, everybody has to live. Unless, the authorities come up with a suitable policy taking all into confidence, we are bound to face such a situation.
Melville X D’Souza, Mumbai
Ban toxic fireworks
Delhi has banned all firecrackers until January 1, 2023. Can the Goa Govt take the bold step immediately in doing the same in Goa for all festive seasons all thru the year; and not just for specific periods?
The ban should also include fireworks which are proven to be toxic for air/water; in turn seriously affecting all living things including Humans!
Arwin Mesquita, Colva
Kohli, still a master
The return to form of Virat Kohli is good news for Indian cricket. At his best, Kohli is a bowler’s nightmare. His awesome talent and imperious confidence supplemented by stupendous record has ensured his name among the all time greats of the game. During his prime, like other batting legends, Kohli has never let the team down on any pitch at home or abroad. He is not averse to taking risks, and relishes the very idea of scoring quick runs which is a plus for the team.
During his lean patch, Kohli’s role in the shortest form of the game, T20, was viewed with circumspection because he took some time to settle in. But after the Guwahati innings, against the visiting South Africans, the former captain showed how one can pace the innings beautifully in T20s too.
Hard hitters like Suryakumar Yadav will have a major say in shaping India’s fortunes in the T20 world cup at Australia. That being said, a batting artist like Virat Kohli, who was once, and maybe even now, a mainstay of India’s batting has the burdensome responsibility of steering the innings when the chips are down.
Another rare quality that separates Kohli from many famous cricketers is his running between the wickets that not only ups the tempo of the match but unsettles the opposition plan. There is lots of cricket to be played and lots of shots waiting to be hit from Kohli’s broad blade.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
