Sancoale project will lead to landslide
Just like in several places in the state, a massive protest is brewing in the tiny and peaceful village of Sancoale against a mega housing project coming up on a hill. The hill which has a steep gradient is covered with a lot of greenery.
The hill will obviously be cut to make way for the mega project consisting of more than 700 flats with more than 70 swimming pools. A protest meeting was held the other day which was attended by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Quepem MLA Altone D’ Costa, Cortalim MLA Antonio Vas, former minister Alina Saldanha, social activists, and people from across the state who came in support of the residents of Sancoale.
It is learnt that permission has been granted for the mega project by the authorities concerned without giving a thought for the amount of water that will be required for the residents of these flats and the 70 plus swimming pools.
The village has to bear with an acute water scarcity. The project will also gobble a large amount of electricity.
The approach road to the mega project is just 3 meters wide while the requirement for a project of this scale is ten meters. The project will lead to a Wayanad like landslide and the several houses located at the foot of the hill will be swept away leading to a disaster. Hopefully the government will revoke all the licenses issued for this mega project.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Wayanad tragedy has brought lot of pain
Kerala has grappled with severe landslide crises in the past that have resulted in significant loss of life, widespread agricultural devastation, and a substantial financial burden on the State government.
But the Wayanad tragedy has scaled unprecedented heights and has brought a lot of pain, anguish and misery to Kerala and to the nation as a whole. The economic consequences of the landslide are far-reaching and profound. Beyond the immediate relief efforts, the arduous task of rebuilding homes, infrastructure, and agricultural livelihoods lies ahead.
Smallholder farmers, plantation workers and others face a protracted recovery, jeopardising their economic stability. The toll on survivors, who have endured the loss of loved ones and homes, cannot be explained in words. The heartbreaking loss of lives in the Wayanad landslide is a stark reminder that we must rethink how we live with nature.
It's clear that we need to do more than just react to disasters; we need to prevent them. This means investing in smart systems to warn us of potential dangers, protecting our forests, and making sure our communities are ready for what nature throws our way.
Meanwhile, it is highly unfortunate that none of the top leaders from the ruling BJP, including the Prime Minister, hasn't really bothered to visit Wayanad, which would have made them realize the magnitude of catastrophe that left the district beyond any recognition. Is it for the sole reason that Rahul Gandhi won from here in the last LS election?
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Kerala landslide is an early warning
This monsoon has been marked by a series of landslides around the world. The Western Ghats and Himalayas are among the highly vulnerable areas prone to landslides in India. Recently the Wayanad landslide is under calling which have turned into a scene of chaos and despair.
This is not just nature's fury but man's greed too behind the tragedy. While environmentalists have raised concerns over deforestation and other human activities contributing to the calamity, geologists argue that the root cause remains natural even as human activities aggravate landslide conditions and increase casualties.
Settlements in landslide-prone areas amplify the impact. According to the landslide atlas released by the ISRO National Remote Sensing Centre last year, 10 out of the 30 most landslide-prone districts in India were in Kerala, with Wayanad ranked 13th.
The landslides also brought to the fore the unheeded warnings of the "Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel" set up by the government under ecologist Madhav Gadgil.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Save golden Goa from avaricious builders
One of the few good things that the Centre is proposing for Goa is declaring 108 villages spread over 1461 sq.kms. as Eco Sensitive Areas (ESA). In light of the natural disasters recently witnessed in Wayanad, Himachal and Uttarakhand this move should be lauded and implemented post haste.
But this has not found favour with the real estate lobby and as a corollary with the state government, both of whom are busy ravaging Goa and selling it to the highest bidder. Once a village is declared an ESA, no construction of a permanent nature will be permitted, there will be restrictions on supposed 'development' too. How then will the sharks build luxurious villas to make Shylockian profits and also line the pockets of sarkari officers.
An alarmed CM was quick off the block stating that there was no need to panic on the Centre's draft notification and that he was hopeful that some villages will be dropped from being declared as ESA, he wants to put only 63 villages under the sensitive zone classification.
It is for all to see how Goa has been destroyed by the building mafia in collusion with the sarkari babus and some politicians. Goa is a golden goose which they won't let go off. Public spirited citizens, NGOs and civil society at large should oppose tooth and nail this move of the state government to drop 47 villages from being declared ESAs.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Celebrate I- Day without harming our planet
Every year on August 15, lakhs of tri-coloured balloons are released in the air to mark India’s Independence Day celebrations. Though they look pretty, they can have disastrous effects on the planet and its inhabitants, including a choking hazard for infants. This Independence Day, let us start to honour our nation without harming our planet.
Avoiding the use of plastic flags can be one of the best tributes to our nation on Independence Day. While paper flags are made out of trees that reduce the forest cover of our planet, plastic flags are non biodegradable harming the atmosphere with its toxic fumes.
Instead of using symbolic flags to showcase one’s patriotism, it is essential to spread awareness amongst fellow residents especially children to carry the nation in one’s heart and not in any symbolic flag. Also, start your day by planting a seedling as a representation of progress and the freedom of our country.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai