Conduct periodic hygiene audit at all fishing jetties
With cholera sweeping the Cutbona and Mobor jetties in South Goa, five migrant workers have reportedly lost their lives while 163 have been infected so far. According to health officials around 4-5 persons are getting infected every day. It is learnt that there is a gross shortage of toilets at the Cutbona fishing jetty.
In absence of proper sanitation, the migrant workers could be relieving themselves along the sea front. Adequate number of toilets and bathing rooms need to be built. As a stop-gap arrangement the fishing jetties could be provided with portable toilets. It would be in the fitness of things to have a Primary Health Center (PHC) in the vicinity of every fishing jetty in the state.
The state government needs to conduct a regular hygiene audit of all the fishing jetties in the state. A hygiene audit will provide an insight into how the fishing jetties operate in terms of hygiene.
The audit will provide a realistic assessment of how it affects the health of the workers. It also provides solutions to overcome or reduce the adverse effects due to unhygienic conditions. It will ensure availability of clean resources, maintenance of clean water supply and proper disposal of human waste. Such an audit conducted periodically can ensure safety of both human health and environment which is the key focus of a hygiene audit.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Are we drowning in politics of hate?
Political parties especially the ruling and Opposition are doing great injustice to the people who elected them in the biggest democracy on earth.
Instead of discussion and debate in Parliament and Vidhan Sabhas, they are hostile to each other, each trying to bring the other down! Without condoning the Trinamool wrong handling and lapses in the RG Kar issue, where the doctors are still on strike despite Supreme Court orders to resume work, the issue has been converted into a removal of the elected CM using all means of mob violence, processions, using the Governor and even President!
With the doctors simultaneously on strike, the law and order problem with central and local police forces are confrontational and not in public interest. In Delhi, the ruling party has managed to keep denying Kejriwal bail and is using every means to remove the elected CM.
The leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in America is not allowed to air his views without being roundly denounced at home, called names, being accused of treason etc, whilst the PM can say whatever he wants against the Congress/Opposition when abroad with no problems. The PM is involved in trying to solve the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-Palestine problem, but he cannot visit Manipur and lets it fester and burn where a war-like situation is now existing with deep divisions. of our people in our own country. We are drowning in politics of hate, instead of love, joy and peace?
John Eric Gomes, Porvorim
Doctors’ cease-work takes toll on health care services
Many patients have died and many others are on the verge of death. Junior doctors' cease-work in government medical colleges and hospitals in Kolkata has thrown a large section of poor patients between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Neither can they afford treatment in private hospitals, nor they get treatment in government hospitals. The protesting junior doctors defied the Tuesday 5 pm deadline set by the Supreme Court to resume duties. They also, turned down an invitation from the state government for a dialogue with the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
It is a heart-breaking news for the thousands of patients who have been gasping in pain and dying a violent death. Junior doctors can continue their protests after resuming duties. Cannot those dying patients expect that political parties make a joint appeal and movement asking junior doctors to resume duties? After all, political parties have to depend on their votes at the end of the day.
Sujit De, Kolkata
Final blow against Naxals?
The Centre is said to be moving in four battalions comprising more than 4,000 personnel in the worst Naxal affected division of Bastar in Chattisgarh, that include Dantewada and Sukma districts, for a decisive action in line with its stated aim of ending the Naxal problem by March 2026.
Successive governments in Chhattisgarh did try their best to control the menace but the impunity with which the Maoists struck back was bewildering. Pro-active governments and dedicated anti-Naxal forces have had an upper hand over the Maoists for a considerable period of time in the region.
But the security forces could not let their guard down even for a minute. Unarmed vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, dog squads are to be augmented to provide more teeth to the new battalions.
It is an accepted fact that developmental activities of elected governments have unnerved the Naxals who are consistently perturbed by setback to their intentions of keeping the villages in their areas backward, and the villagers subservient.
Against this backdrop, it is appropriate that the additional battalions aim to set up 40 forward operating bases (FOB) for initiating development work after finally securing the area. It is applaudable that the top priority of the government is to root the enemies of democracy out without taking recourse to defeat them in patches.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Religious harmony
through unique system
At a time when we often hear about unwanted communal conflicts and clashes, a beautiful ritual followed traditionally in the famous Payyanur Subramanya temple near Kannur in Kerala is worth mentioning as it beautifully portrays the bond of religious harmony.
Every year at the beginning of harvest season when the temple gets ready for the harvest festival, sugar for the preparation of the nivedya (offering) is gifted by the koloth Muslim family. This ritual, old timers believe began hundreds of years ago and is being followed even now with great devotion, pomp and gaiety.
The members of the Muslim family offer sugar pot ('panchasara kalam') to the temple by way of a traditional ceremony and this is used in the preparation of the special ‘payasam’ or the Lord's offering which is later distributed as 'prasada' to the devotees. In turn the temple offers prasada, rice and coconuts to the donors. This ritual truly showcases our rich cultural heritage and unity among the people irrespective of caste, creed, religion and race.
M Pradyu, Kannur
Konkani programmes
coming to an end?
Listening to the radio programme has become a part of my daily routine. I patiently wait for the Konkani Kantaram programme to air on the radio. It was initially my dad who loved listening to these songs every morning that gradually made me develop a liking for Konkani music. Sadly in recent times, the Konkani programme has been made completely limited.
It commences at 10.05 am and sometimes ends before 10.25 am that immediately follows with the next programme. I understand the timing is limited for all programmes but cutting down those 30 minutes too is unfair. With this, the end of this Konkani programme is near.
Monaliza D'Costa, Curchorem