Satellite images to track illegal hill cutting
The tragedy that unfolded at Wayanad in Kerala where more than 200 people lost their lives due to a massive landslide should serve as a warning sign for Goa which has witnessed several landslides across the state in recent times.
Disaster management should involve preventing an untoward incident from taking place besides carrying out rescue operations. As the saying goes ‘prevention is better than cure’. According to geologists, the unscientific cutting of hills for the construction of buildings and housing projects alongside the roads is one of the primary reasons for landslides.
A heavy rainfall is sufficient to make the rocks and boulders come hurtling down. Retaining walls need to be built whenever hill-cutting is resorted to for widening of roads. Statistics reveal a grim picture. In the first four months of the year 2024 there have reportedly been 202 cases of hill-cutting or land-filling cases registered by the flying squad across Goa. In 2023 there were 308 cases registered and in 2022 and 2021 there were 135 and 128 cases respectively. This must be regarded as a dangerous trend for a small state like Goa which is blessed with a lot of greenery on mountains and hills.
The consequences of hill-cutting are deforestation resulting in increased soil erosion. We need to protect our hills from devastation. Or a disaster in the form of a major landslide is waiting to happen. Satellite images and drones photos need to be used to track illegal hill cutting activities in places where there are no accessible roads.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Govt should promote sustainable tourism
The state government should closely be watching the sad events unfolding in Kerala’s Wayanad district where hundreds have perished, and many are missing thanks to the unprecedented floods. While there will be a lot of post-floods analysis of what happened, and where or not the right warnings were given, lack of land use planning, and rampant destruction of afforestation is the cause of this tragic event.
Like Kerala, Goa is a state that depends on the revenues from tourism to keep the state’s machinery running. However, tourism planning must respect nature and the forces of the environment. Recently, a union minister announced a Rs 30,000 crore infrastructure package that will create faster connectivity across the state at the risk of affecting the ecology. Goa needs to have reliable warning systems in place as well as credible plans to shift people should the need arise. Goa needs sustainable tourism and development policy. Our development policies must be holistic and people-centred.
Brian de Souza, Margao
Leaky and shaky government
While the present BJP government is unworthy of mentioning anything appreciable, it is, however, famous for leakages, train accidents and crumbling down of bridges in the states ruled by them!
Besides the question paper leakages in exams like NEET conducted by their own NTA and irregularities pointed out in the conduct and appointment of IAS , IPS officers etc by the UPSC, leakage at the hurriedly constructed Ram Temple at the cost of thousands of crores of rupees from the roof top, flooding the Sanctum Sanctorum where the statue of Ram Lalla is installed and now, the leakage from the roof of the new Parliament building constructed under the direct supervision of PM, Modi expose and speak in loud, the quality of such works done by the saffron government.
The frequent train accidents and falling down of number of bridges in the NDA ruled Bihar and Manipur states resulting in the death of many innocent people stand as solid proof for corruption, inefficiency and dishonesty of the ruling dispensation.
Though the minority BJP government is counting its days, it has not learnt any lessons from the beating they have received at the hands of the electorate in the general elections. Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar of the TDP and JD(S) respectively are wounded tigers having been very badly bruised, read insulted, by Modi beyond comprehension and it is only with their support, this government survives.The two wounded tigers should be waiting for the right opportunity to return the ignominy faced by them in multiples to the saffron party.
Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai
Is Ukraine more important for PM?
There has been news in the media about Narendra Modi going to Ukraine but he has not been to Manipur ever since the State went into a crisis more than a year ago. One would therefore assume that the tragedy in Ukraine is more important for him than in Manipur which is at home. Modi has in the past blamed Jawaharlal Nehru for being more conscious of his international image and involvement in world matters while avoiding issues of local interests. But it seems Modi is treading the same path now!
Srinivas Kamat, Mysore