Is this the way to promote monsoon tourism?
Amid concerns over disruption in domestic travel following the Pahalgam attack, Goa Tourism Ministry has reportedly urged the airline and hospitality industries to roll out special monsoon packages to attract middle and upper-middle-class travellers to Goa. It is learnt that the goal is not just to revive Goa’s footfalls but to ensure Goa doesn’t lose ground to international competitors like Vietnam, Sri Lanka, or Indonesia while at the same time boosting arrival of domestic travellers.
However, the question that arises is whether Goa is ready for monsoon tourism. Heavy showers lashed Goa resulting in water-logging and a flood-like situation in low lying areas. Parts of Panaji and Miramar bore the brunt of the heavy showers as water accumulation brought traffic to a standstill. And these are only the pre-monsoon
showers.
The entire monsoon season is in front of us. The unseasonal showers threw normal life out of gear, laying bare the glaring gaps in the state government’s claim of being monsoon ready. This was the situation in several parts of Goa underscoring just how unprepared the state is for even moderate rainfall. In all this turmoil, not clearing the drains in time and improper drainage system, the government is counting on monsoon tourism in order to attract tourists. It is hoped that average tourists extend their stay in the state. In the present situation tourists may be forced to extend their stay probably only when they miss the flight since their cab could not reach the airport in time due to bad road conditions.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Apex Court sends clear
and strong message
The Supreme Court did well to order for constituting a three-member Special Investigation Team to probe the FIR against Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah for his disparaging remarks against the senior woman Army Officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
The Apex Court’s intervention sends a clear and strong message about the responsibility public figures hold and the consequences of making slanderous comments, particularly against top officials and members of our armed forces.
The SC’s decision to initiate a probe underscores its commitment to upholding the dignity of armed forces personnel and ensuring that public officials are held accountable for their statements. Despite the minister’s apologies, the controversy remains a significant issue, reflecting the sensitivity of communal and gender-related discourse in India’s political and social landscape.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Why forewarn contractor
of Kala Academy?
The Kala Academy would be closed in view of rectification works, which as per the Chief Minister will be done free of cost by the contractor by October, as per the original agreement. Subsequently, the contract would be terminated and the contractor will be blacklisted (O Heraldo, May 17). This brings to the fore the questions as to whether in the first place the Kala Academy really required renovations costing more than Rs 60 crore. At this price, a new one could have been constructed.
Having given the contract, presumably without an open tender, was the contractor capable to have carried out the work, by checking the credentials and earlier works? What was the consultant doing while the renovations were in progress? There are allegations of inferior workmanships as borne out by collapse of a part of the open air-auditorium, water leakages in the main auditorium, poor sound quality and air-conditioners and so forth. The ‘free’ rectifications may not be up to the mark because the contractor is already forewarned of being blacklisted! Anyway, blacklisting may not stop the contractor to return in another avatar – as a partner in a new firm or open a new company with someone else as the face of the business while he/ she may be in the background.
Sridhar D’Iyer,
Caranzalem
India needs more
wolf sanctuaries
A wildlife enthusiast is said to have spotted an Indian grey wolf along the Yamuna floodplains near Delhi. Though hybridisation with a feral dog is a possibility, and without genetic testing one cannot be sure, the sighted animal's external features reportedly point towards an Indian wolf, a subspecies of
grey wolf.
Since grasslands, deciduous forests and deserts are the usual habitats of grey wolf, the spotting of " grey wolf" in an urban area should evoke curiosity and encourage research. Similar to wolves of other species, the Indian wolves live in packs but, unlike their counterparts, not to their full strength.
The Wildlife Protection Act places the Indian wolf in the endangered species list. Widely found in states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, they number up to 2500 to 3000, although there are only two dedicated wolf sanctuaries in India.
The man--wolf conflict is quite rare; may happen when wolves venture into human settlements in search of goats and sheep.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola