How to avoid road accidents at Sonsoddo
It is learnt that a tense situation prevailed at Sonsoddo, after at least five two-wheeler riders skidded over leachate which leaked from the parked trucks on Tuesday which led to injuries to the riders. It was by providence that the accidents did not lead to fatality. The question that arises is who should be held responsible for endangering the lives of the citizens? This obviously amounts to criminal negligence by the authorities concerned.
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The construction of the retaining wall on the western boundary was one of the recommendations made by the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) in order to sort out the serious issue that has arisen at Sonsoddo. It is understood that the trucks are parked on the slope which makes it more dangerous for road-users who can lose control of the vehicles due to leachate on the roads. A lasting solution needs to be arrived at as far as the Sonsoddo garbage menace is concerned. The garbage trucks should not be parked on the slope inside the yard but should be parked on a level road at a different location.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Only audits, no action
As road accidents show an upward trend in Goa, the PWD is preparing to open tenders for road safety audit for district and village roads in the State. This is happening 11 months after the CM had called for such a move. Presently only the tender note has been finalized, it has to be thrown open for bids and a suitable consultant appointed; this process shall easily take an additional 3 months. The proposed audit will cost Rs 6 crore and shall cover 1134 kms of major district roads and 4430 km of village roads across the State.
It is pertinent to note that four years ago an agency had carried out a safety audit of national and State highways in Goa but the PWD has still not corrected the defects pointed out in the report.
The Centre’s data shows that there has been a 20% increase in the number of people killed in road accidents in 2022 as compared to 2021. Apart from 271 deaths (most of them were two wheeler riders), grievous injuries were reported to 1100 individuals in the State. Flawed highway engineering at the Karmal ghat area, Farmagudi, Ponda and other places leads to needless accidents, poorly designed unmarked speed breakers and rumble strips are the bane of vehicles especially at nights in most of the coastal belt. Almost every day there are a couple of fatal accident accidents taking place in the State. Ordering audits is all very fine but the moot point is that all such endeavours are an exercise in futility, if no action is taken on the ground to set right things.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Give best actor award to Vagator accident driver
The blood alcohol test report and narco analysis test report of the accused non-Goan driver who was arrested for driving his SUV in a reckless manner and killing the owner of a resort on the spot at Vagator have both come negative.
In his bail application he is said to have now claimed (of course at the behest of his lawyer) that the reason why he was found dozing behind the steering wheel of his vehicle at the time of the above accident is because he was undergoing some water fasting therapy and which he had started just around five to six days prior to the day of the accident. This appears to be a big joke. Because the way he was seen behaving in his vehicle after the accident, it was looking as if he was not on water fasting but on some Urrack, if not Caju-Feni therapy.
Didn’t he knowingly commit a crime by deliberately driving his vehicle dangerously & killing that poor innocent lady on the spot just outside her own resort at Vagator? I think that this arrested driver needs to be given a ‘Best Actor award’ for daringly coming out with such unbelievable stories.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Unpreparedness for Cyclone Michaung
This refers to a news report ‘Cyclone Michaung: Death toll in Chennai rises to 12’ (O Heraldo December 6). It is unfortunate that cyclone Michaung has caused sudden deluge on the eastern coast, including Chennai, AP and Telangana. Normal life has been disrupted and memories of the 2015 floods have come back to haunt the residents. Extreme weather events, including urban flooding are no longer rare events. The country’s metro cities are witnessing floods in the last few years. Extreme weather events have ravaged the world and caused serious damage to life and property all over the world in the recent past. The Chennai tragedy underscores the dire need to plug the glaring gaps. Goa being a coastal State, has to draw lessons out of the cyclone too. Irrespective of political affiliations, the Centre and the States concerned must work in close cooperation for the effective disaster mitigation.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Task before the INDIA Bloc
The results of the three Assembly elections in the three northern States, all having gone in favour of the BJP, that too with a thumping majority, have come as a great shock to the people of the country. This, despite uniform predictions from the exit polls conducted by different electronic and print media that the Congress will win Chhattisgarh comfortably and, it would be a neck -to neck -fight between the Congress and the BJP, in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh!
The shocking results also reminds one of the same patterns of results that emerged in the 2019 general elections.
It is high time the Opposition leaders looked at the continuously unexpected surprise victories of the BJP, particularly in the Assembly and Parliamentary elections, with concern, and found out the real reason for the same and took appropriate action to seal the major loopholes. If they fail to do it right now, they will be destined to face the same fate, in the 2024 general elections also. Moreover, all the opposition parties should join hands burying their ego fathoms deep, be prepared for sacrifices wherever required and stand as one and fight the BJP in unison. Particularly, the Congress party should shed its big brother attitude and work in tandem with the other partners of the INDIA Bloc.
Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai
Comatose Congress is on ventilator
In the recent four States elections, the BJP has asserted its dominance. And this will have an impact on the plans for the 2024 general elections. This results also suggests Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the most popular leader. And his arrival marks the new phase of Indian history. The grand old party lost the assembly elections in the three states due to over confidence. The Congress relied on flurry of welfare schemes to return to power. But the results seem to have established the limits of welfarism.
The voters have not been enticed by the lure of schemes. Voters have understood the way the Congress government has imposed conditions to deny benefits of five guarantees in Karnataka. Election results of four States are a lesson to secular-democratic parties. Now-a-days people don’t believe in election-time gimmicks. The formula of guarantees has been rejected by the people. But the only lesson that history tells is that there are no permanent winners and permanent losers.
K G Vilop, Chorao
