SATURDAY, MAY 04, 2024
Trial run of the Smart City
Global warming and related effects have been increasing the severity of the weather patterns. The number of humid days in a year have increased in the past few years. The memory does the work of cross-checking and verifying the past data of weather with the current state. There is no need of any dataset to study and prove that global warming is really affecting our lives. James Lovelock had coined a term Gaia, meaning that the earth is like an organism, with let’s say, consciousness, and is now taking revenge to get rid of the wrongdoings of humans on the environment.
Goa cannot be spared, just because there is a Double Engine Sarkar. Nature does not differentiate. Let the government stick the same dialogue now “This is just a trailer, movie is ahead” to this situation. If we collectively put the blame on the authorities for not executing the Smart City work in a systematic manner, they would counter this by asserting that the trial run of rain happened when work is still in progress.
Raghav Gadgil, St Cruz
Iran-Israel conflict impacts crude oil prices
As the Israeli-Hamas war continues to rattle the West Asian region leaving a trail of death and destruction, the Iran-Israel shadow war has very much come out into the open. Tel Aviv had been targeting Tehran’s assets for over a decade, particularly in Syria, taking advantage of the chaos engendered by that country’s civil war. Tensions have escalated between Iran and Israel, raising a huge concern among several countries including India. Being an ally of Israel as well Iran, India needs to prevail upon both sides to exercise restraint. The war could impact the global economy which is already in the midst of two wars – Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas.
The Gaza war, in large part due to the denial of Palestinian rights and statehood, is the crux of the biggest security problem in the Middle East. It is a problem that will not be fixed by Israel and Iran engaging in a dangerous stand-off in which there is no true winner
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Linemen should work in safe environment
In yet another tragic death involving a worker of the electricity department, a lineman was electrocuted while he had climbed up a pole to undertake repair work at Valshi, Bicholim on Friday morning.
It is reported that five linemen have met tragic deaths due to electrocution in the year 2023. The year 2018 and 2019 saw one case each while in 2022 three line helpers were electrocuted. To protect against electric shock, linemen have to mandatorily wear protective gear. This includes rubber gloves, insulated boots and protective clothing made from flame-resistant materials. Linemen also wear hard hats to protect their heads and safety glasses or face shields to protect their eyes. Besides electrocution, linesmen also face danger of falling while working from significant height. However it is observed that in Goa, linemen work even on high-tension wires without adequate protection. It is of paramount importance to switch off the source of the electricity power to the locality where the work is being carried out.
It is also a good idea to put up a sign on the main switch-board so that nobody turns the switch on even by accident. It is observed that linesmen climb an electricity pole using a ladder made of aluminium or a steel ladder. Aluminium is yet another metal known for its high conductivity of electricity. A bamboo, wooden or fibreglass ladder needs to be used instead.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Safety of linemen should be supreme
The recent electrocution of a linemen at Bicholim yet again throws a question mark on the safety conditions being provided by the Govt to the linemen.
Linemen working on 11KV, 33 KV lines are very much prone to electrocution. The government's claim that the govt will ban reverse current inverters is nothing less then foolish talk. For a domestic household there is no chance of current flowing in a reverse direction and for commercial structures there must be guidelines which need to be followed.
Were guidelines in place and being followed by the user using inverter which gave a reverse current ? Was the deceased using safety gadgets ? All these questions must be answered by the powers that be. It is sheer negligence of the department for which it must be answerable ..linemen time and again risk their lives working with bare hands on high tension lines and there are glaring examples of this . Is the government so bankrupt that no safety gadgets can be provided to the linemen and cannot all safety precautions be taken when linemen have to work on high current spots ?
Aaron Fonseca, Assagao
Recognising the value of earth
Our earth is the only planet we know that harbours life. Recognising the unique value of our “blue planet”, it’s crucial that we adopt practices to preserve and nurture it. Protecting our planet not only involves planting more trees to combat the effects of pollution and global warming prevention but also involves adopting sustainable living habits. Eco-friendly practices, such as recycling, reducing waste, and using renewable energy sources, play an instrumental role. According to World Economic Forum by the year 2050, our oceans are expected to contain more plastic than fish. This means that we'll be eating more of plastic.
Plastic, a fossil fuel product, does not biodegrade. Instead, it breaks down into tiny pieces that the fish eat, and then we eat the fish. Another common destination for plastic is the landfill. Since it contains toxic chemicals, landfills then contaminate groundwater.
I suggest, we really need to try working on ending plastic pollution every day. It’s not hard, and it saves everyone’s money. Just like our trash cans, our garages and our homes, the earth has limited space to store junk. We all need a clean environment so we can live healthy lives and leave future generations a healthy Earth.
Jubel D'Cruz, Mumbai
Is Goa really safe for Goans?
What is happening to our beautiful Goa. Murders, crimes, robberies, damaged roads, increasing pollution and the most important issue, but at present is there no proper water supply.
We have a life snuffed out everyday due to road accidents. Beti bachao, beti padhao is just a slogan as our women and girls are hardly safe. This is the one question which comes to my mind: Is really Goa safe for Goans?
Anita Fernandes, Verna
