Of bursting pipelines
and water scarcity
A major water pipeline reportedly burst along the main road in Nuvem on Monday that led to the wastage of thousands of litres of water. It has led to flooding, disruption of traffic and wastage of large amounts of drinking water.
This is one of the numerous incidents of pipelines bursting that have been reported in the state in the recent past. The bursts have been linked to ongoing construction work, including underground cable installation and the laying of new water pipelines.
We are in the middle of the hot summer season which has significantly deplete precious water sources due to increased evaporation and higher water usage.
This can lead to lower groundwater levels and drying of rivers and lakes with potential challenges for agriculture. Rapid population growth, urbanisation, and industrialization are putting stress on water resources. In Goa, reservoir levels in key dams have been rapidly depleting. Many reservoirs in the state have fallen below 40% capacity. However the government has stated that current water reserves are sufficient for 150 days and that residents will not face drinking water shortage. Water being lost due to bursting pipelines must be considered as a criminal wastage at a time when taps are running dry in several homes. This can lead to a man-made calamity. Due to global warming the weather pattern has become unpredictable which could even lead to a delay in the arrival of the South West monsoon.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Rattled Pak engaging in
war mongering rhetoric
In the wake of Pahalgam attack, Pakistan have issued warnings about possible Indian military action. Those occupying the responsible ministerial positions in Pakistan are resorting to cheap war-mongering. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Railway Minister Hanif Abbasi have raised the spectre of a nuclear conflict amid heightened tension between the two countries. In response to the escalating situation, both nations have taken reciprocal measures. India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and expelled Pakistani diplomats, while Pakistan has closed its airspace to Indian flights and suspended the Simla Agreement.
By raising the nuclear bogie, Pakistani leaders may hope to attract the attention of the global powers and persuade them to intervene in the matter. As of now, it appears that South Asia is facing a serious threat owing to the politically motivated and highly provocative environment being created by both nations.
The international community has expressed deep concern over the rising tensions urging both the warring nations to exercise restraint and engage in dialogue to prevent further escalation. The rabble-rouser ministers must therefore avoid such irresponsible statements that may bring the two neighbours closer to the much-dreaded nuclear threshold.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Of science, religion and
peaceful coexistence
If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, it is a sign that you are subconsciously aware of having no valid reason for thinking as you do. If a friend claims that three plus three is seven, or that Greenland is situated on the equator, you should feel pity rather than anger, unless you know so little of mathematics or geography that your colleague's opinion shakes your own belief.
The most drawn out and toxic controversies are about issues regarding which there is no credible or definitive evidence either way eg. is there an entity such as God who controls us and our actions. Persecution, victimhood and gas lighting is used in religion and matters of faith, not in mathematics and science because the latter two fields are knowledge led, but the former is only driven by subjective opinion, dogma and might I say drivel. Whenever you find yourself getting worked up about a difference of opinion, pause and take a step back. Using the tools of logic and introspection you will probably find that your belief is going beyond what the evidence warrants. But it is scary how the politicians today have hijacked the agendas of both science and religion, if they need your opinion they wouldn't solicit it, they will give it to you. One is just not capable of independent thought, you are indoctrinated into hating each other for no reason.
Choose science over faith, logic over subjective belief, brotherhood over bigotry ; in this world riven by war and strife give peace a chance.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Keep Chinese firms
at an arm’s length
Our industry moghuls like Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Mittal should cease and desist from tying up with Chinese Cos like Haier and offer them easy access into the India market or provide them strategic assistance to beat international trade restrictions.
It is not all about money when it comes to trade with China and we should take into account the overall context of our relations with them including the border tensions before we offer them trade conveniences. In fact, we should ban all trade with China. It is not understood why our government is not doing that?
Imagine with China already under pressure from the US with the high levies of import tariff and if we had stopped trade with them, China would have been isolated with only the rest of the world markets to access.
This would have put a severe pressure on their economy. Is this not the way you deal with your enemy? If we freeze trade with China, you will find them becoming more amenable to us on other matters. Wars are today also fought on the economic plains and China is an enemy. We should therefore make every effort to defeat them not help them survive and flourish.
In Haier's offer of controlling equity in its India operations to local investors, China is just attempting to circumvent the high tariffs imposed on them by the USA lately in trying to locate apparently locally owned manufacturing in India.
When it comes to Haier, the technology is not so much high end and hence given the financial clout that Reliance and Airtel possess, they can easily establish such manufacturing within India in a short time on their own. There is therefore no need to buy-in into Haier’s India operations. One hopes that better sense will prevail with Ambani and Mittal. They need to think about the nation and not just increasing the size of their coffers.
Srinivas Kamat, Mysore