FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Trim, cut down dangerous trees
The other day a huge banyan tree came crashing down in Vasco damaging several houses in the process. It may be recalled that last year, during the monsoon, an Ashoka tree located along Swatantra Path in the port town fell on a motorcycle rider killing him on the spot.
It is absolutely necessary for civic bodies and panchayats to trim down trees and cut down dangerous trees which have outlived their lives as part of the pre-monsoon work.
The overgrown branches pose a threat as they tend to fall on overhead power lines. This can lead to live wires snapping and falling on the roads thereby posing danger to the public.
The threat of such trees increases in the monsoon due to the gusty winds. The authorities concerned need to identify such dangerous trees and either trim the branches or cut them down after obtaining the necessary permission. It is true that our cities require a green cover and the trees also provide shade to the citizens. But at the same time the overgrown and old trees which pose a danger to the general public need to be trimmed or cut down before the onset of monsoon.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Waiting to fly
No sooner had the Centre got the trains on track, people’s expectations on flying began to soar. Post relaxation, trains did well to carry thousands of stranded migrants to their destinations. Both personal hygiene and social distancing were maintained to a tee without compromising on efficiency. It goes without saying that full-fledged running of trains is around the corner.
Airplanes pose problems of a different kind. Arrival at the airports, identity check at the security gates, procurement of boarding passes, luggage transfer, security clearance, seating at the common waiting hall, boarding the flight and travel, visit to toilets at airports and in flights at each point, hygiene and distancing have to be taken care of.
The blueprint encompassing all this is said to be ready with the government. Physical presence at the airport requires travel by own car or taxi.
The taxi drivers will have to be enlightened on the intricacies of safe travel. No relative of passengers may be allowed to disembark from the vehicles. At every step of all laborious processes, disinfectants will be the invariable companions of travellers.
In addition, frequent washing of hands, for 20 seconds each, would be the new norm. While the maddening queues at counters, and the restless faces at the boarding point, are set to be fewer, nonchalant passengers may get along the new routine with customary ease; others may find the fresh regulations troublesome but inevitable.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Homeless, jobless, hopeless
Exodus, movement of jah people, was a song released in 1977, by Bob Marley. This was a giant of a human being, by stature rather short, but his songs penetrated every ear, around the globe giving hope to a movement.
Forty-three years later, little did the migrants realise that their world, which seemed rather constant, cajoled, carefree; would be suddenly shredded to pieces.
Once everything was constant, today they lie as though cracked into shreds, every order in their existing chaotic life thorn to shred as millions of our poorest of the poorest long for that last ray of hope to just get back home, just to be in the comfort of the family that holds the fabric of sanity together. Who will hear their cries?
Or feel the pain from the pangs of hunger, or the unsanitised conditions that they are forced to accept as the way of life, which has now become normal.
Will this exodus stop? Will someone hear their cries? Can someone do something? Would Jah...take the reins of control?
During the school assembly millions of children recite the ‘Indian Pledge’. Was that pledge reserved only for individuals who were on the right side of the economy? Did this sudden and huge divide with one toll of the bell, make them the outcast from this pledge and brotherhood. So what went wrong for the millions of our Indians?
Was it hypocrisy? For the rich the world spins on the dollar, for the poor it spins on sweat. In the end what is the difference, death embraces us all. Let’s put pride and prejudice aside.
Noel Desouza, Arpora
Lessons from COVID-19
The lockdown due to COVID-19 has thrown out of gear the economy of the richest and poorest countries.
The lifestyle, food and working have changed. The people salute the front line warriors of the pandemic; we need to also salute other frontline warriors – the many NGOs, concerned citizens and whistle blowers who have been on the frontline much before the pandemic struck.
These NGOs keep raising issues of the environment, public transport system, civic and hygiene, health system preparedness, disaster management preparedness, neglected agricultural land, food essentials (PDS), street vendors, daily wage migrant and many more from the unorganised sector.
But the government, elected local bodies and officials always think that these warriors are trouble markers for development projects undertaken clandestine by throwing all rules and regulations to the winds.
COVID-19 does not recognise who is rich or poor, does not recognise religion or caste and creed. We have learnt to be self reliant save agricultural land exclusively for agriculture, keep water bodies and rivers from untreated home sewage and toxic industrial waste and have clean air to breath.
The hills and jungles have brought back wild life. The overcrowding in the public transport system has ended and now we have to maintain social distancing by carrying as per the approved capacity.
The RTO/traffic police needs to gear up, while the commuters too have to be responsible by not boarding these buses for fear of getting infected by the virus.
Gregory E D’Souza, Siolim
Can’t ignore safeguards
The Karnataka government easing lockdown measures is showing an adverse effect with the State reporting a whopping 99 new COVID-19 cases on Monday.
This is the highest recorded in a day, with Bengaluru Urban leading the way with 24 fresh cases. Meanwhile, India’s virus tally crossed the one lakh mark, with the fatality count mounting to 3,157.
Maharashtra topped the nationwide tally with over 35,000 confirmed cases and 1,249 deaths. Taking the virus lightly and ignoring safeguards now could be at our peril.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
