SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Hike on food resources
Alarmed by a potential rise in food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic, many states and organizations are mounting special efforts to keep agriculture safely running as an essential business, markets well supplied with affordable and nutritious food, and consumers able to access and purchase food despite movement restrictions and income losses.
Given the status of food supplies, export restrictions are unwarranted and could hurt food security. The primary risks to food security are at the country level: as the coronavirus crisis unfolds, disruptions in domestic food supply chains, other shocks affecting food production, and loss of incomes and remittances are creating strong tensions and food security risks in many places. Food producers also face large losses on perishable and nutritious food as consumption patterns shift towards cheaper staples. Exorbitant rates for daily perishable goods is a major concerned now, food prices have a greater impact in low- and middle-income.
Especially inter-trade within states is still tense at the moment.
Closely monitor domestic food and agricultural supply chains, track how the loss of employment and income is impacting people’s ability to buy food, and ensure that food systems continue to function despite challenges.
However, these measures are not enough to solve the problem of food affordability at the time when the middle class is hoarding for months and due to shortage in the markets, prices are going way higher for necessities. So the problem with government is not to address only the supply-side problems but also demand-side issues.
Farha Sayed, Benaulim
Sullied sands
It is distressing to note that in a state where 40% of the population directly or indirectly depends on tourism for their livelihoods, the beaches are being surreptitiously turned into garbage dumps. The problem is more acute in Colva, Sernabatim and Benaulim where a lot of waste generated by restaurants, hotels, and residences along the coast are disposed off on the sand dunes under cover of night.
Non-biodegradable plastic waste comprises the largest chunk of this trash and remains for ages in the beach ecosystem.Along with this, sewage, grease, oil, building debris, metal scrap and other such detritus is either released into Colva creek or dumped on the sand.All such illegal activities do immense harm to the rich biodiversity found in the coastal zone, peroidic beach cleaning is done by concerned individuals and contracting agencies but the problem seems to be insurmountable. The tourism department and the GCZMA have to work in close coordination if the state is really serious about eradicating this blot. Muddying the waters is the fact that the newly constituted tourism board is packed with sinecured government appointees who at most have only a passing interest in tackling the issue.
The World Bank is funding the setting up of sand dune parks but of what use are such initiatives if the dunes themselves are merely receptacles for junk. A sensitization exercise also needs to be carried out to educate locals and tourists alike about keeping our beaches (which are like a second home for many) clean, else the day is not far when we would be witness to mountains of debris and seas of trash along the pristine coast.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Sanitization of taxis at Dabolim airport
It is understood that in order to provide a safe environment for travelers, Goa Miles, the government-run app-based taxi service, has set up a sanitization unit at the Dabolim airport. This step will go a long way in breaking the COVID-19 chain and boosting the confidence of the tourism industry. Under this service every Goa Miles vehicle will be sanitized with a coating of antimicrobial nano-particle and the vehicle will be sanitized once in 30 days. These sanitized vehicles will then be issued a certificate in order to boost the confidence of the passengers. It must be said that the fight against the deadly coronavirus needs to be a comprehensive one. Sanitizing only the vehicles of the government-run app-based taxi service may not be sufficient to stop the spread of the virus. Passengers alighting from domestic and international flights could be using other private taxis and other app-based taxi-service.
This service of sanitization needs to be extended for all taxis operating at the airport for which a nominal charge could be levied and a certificate issued in this regard. All taxis should also mandatorily have a protective plastic panel separating the driver and the passengers. The number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state may be dipping but we are still not out of the woods. The government needs to provide facilities for sanitization for all taxis operating at the airport.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Goa as agri hub
Today, the Netherlands is one of the world’s smallest countries but the World’s No 2 exporter of agricultural products. Goa has already an abundance of water, fertile soil and sufficient land to also be an agriculture hub; of course many other concrete structures using latest technologies can be adopted to maximize agricultural produce and exports.
Question is why is there lack of political will and so much substandard thinking amongst the ruling class? It appears to me that most MLAs/ministers want to do is just get power to convert lands, destroy fields, give “Special favours” to real estate sharks/builders so as to earn huge amounts of money in the shortest possible time. This in addition to destroying Goa via mining, coal transportation/ pollution etc to earn some revenue for the state but majority revenue for themselves!
Goa seems to be the sacrificial lamb for them with no care whatsoever, as to how the future generations are going to be impacted!
Goans have to somehow stop these politicians pursuing their ill conceived plans. We need to change our political mentality and demand results from the politicians! Right now politics is a very comfortable place for losers to rule Goa!
Arwin Mesquita, Colva
Law and order in Goa
Are we really living in Goa? Is Goa a destination for tourists? Open any newspaper in the morning, there is a murder in Margao, later on switch on your mobile, murder in Porvorim, late in the evening switch on the television set, the entire ATM machine is lifted and robbed in Porvorim, etc. What's happening in Goa? Is there any control on law and order?
Are there no efficient politicians to run our small state of Goa? Tell me who is following the the SOPs of the Goa Government? And what steps are taken by our government to book the defaulters? Has our government given green signal to the clubs to have rave parties? And that too without masks and social distancing with free consumption of drugs openly? Are these daily viral videos not reaching our government? Central government is telling us to learn living with Covid cases.
Similarly our Goa Government is telling us Goans to learn to live with these supari killings, drug dealings,live burnings, ATM liftings, etc? When will Goans live with peace,the way we used to live before? In Goan villages migrants are knocking doors asking for food. Who brought them to Goa? We Goans? Please, let Goans live peacefully as we used to live. Do not disturb the peace of the Goans. Have control on law and order in Goa.
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
