Bardez reels under
water crisis
Many parts of Bardez reeled under the water crisis for 6 days! Water tankers were scarcely available and fleecing consumers. This crisis was due to a breach in the Tillari canal in Maharashtra and Goa unable to make alternative arrangements! The government was unable to access the water in the Amthane dam as gates were jammed and navy divers had to finally be called to help open it!
The PWD blames the WRD (Water Resources Department) and whilst the CM has initiated an inquiry, there is a serious problem with inter departmental coordination! For example in Rainbow Valley, Mugalli it is reported that the PWD has lodged a complaint against the Power department regarding public safety and danger to government property regarding road digging. No protocols have been followed and they have even approached the police!
This is not a new problem and rampant in Goa where one department does not coordinate with any other or competent authority or even its own sub departments and causes immense damage to private/government property with serious consequences for the citizen and loss to the exchequer.
There seems to be no accountability and it is difficult to put the blame where it belongs! Water is an essential commodity and depleting. The government has to make every effort to save water, cannot afford to permit inefficiency, leaking pipes, poor quality and accord priority to the citizens health and ease of living which are a critical ingredient of good governance!
John Eric Gomes, Porvorim
Novel way to protect
Goa's shoreline
On Saturday (Jan 25) along a 100-m stretch of the Colva beach, the Water Resources Department (WRD) placed geobags to stop sand erosion. As per reports, these cost Rs 5 lakh compared to concrete walls, that would have needed Rs 75 lakh, and has a guarantee of 10-15 years. In the next 4-5 years, sand dunes are likely to form which are the first lines of defence against erosion by the sea.
In an article titled, “A novel way to protect Goa from SEA (Shoreline changes, erosion, and accretion),” this writer and Dr A A A Viegas (Goa University) had suggested the use of discarded coconuts (tender and normal) and husks to help reduce beach erosion (O Heraldo 18.6.2023, Sunday). These materials instead of being dumped along roads, drains and piled-up in waste dumps, could be put to better use. Considering the daily generation of thousands of coconut wastes, their hardness and easy availability, these could ideally be utilised to act as barriers against the sea waves. The WRD could try the technique (detailed in the above-mentioned article) along another stretch of Colva. This could assist to check and compare the efficiencies of coconut wastes with that of the geobags, to arrest sand erosion. Additionally, this method could be used along one of the North Goa beaches where there is significant loss of sand. Hope the authorities would be keen to implement the above suggestion.
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
Tragedy at Maha Kumbh
The unfortunate stampede that has resulted in the reported deaths of 30 innocent devotees and 60 more injured is definitely a man -made disaster that could have been avoided with right contingency plans in place.
When very special security arrangements were in place for VIPs including Home Minister Amit Shah to have a dip at the confluence of the Ganga without any problem and return safely, why such a care was not taken in respect of the other poor devotees? Have we ever heard of any VIP, meeting with such fatality in any of such large religious or political congregations?
When the UP government was boasting of an expected record -breaking crowd of over 100 million people to have a dip at the confluence of the Ganga on the day of Mauni Amavasya, should not they have also planned well for the safety of the people? Owning responsibility for this tragedy, Adityanath should resign as the Chief Minister of UP. Hope he will not put the blame on the opposition parties as usual, for this disaster to escape admonition and wrath of the families of those who perished in the tragedy and the common man!
Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai
Goa's poor roads
damaging vehicles
The digging of roads at various places in Panjim under the Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Ltd project has been causing serious inconvenience to the residents. The government collects taxes and it's bound to provide good infrastructure including roads. It should pay for vehicle wear and tear by bad roads.
The bad roads in the city not only inconvenience motorists but add to their financial burden. They have to spend more on maintenance of vehicles that get damaged more. Bad roads also increase consumption of fuel. Maintenance cost of vehicles has gone up. It also affects operation of city bus service. Roads in many areas appear like those of Malgudi Days tales. With the frequent, indiscriminate digging of roads for smart city project, Goa has no option but to go through the peril daily. It has become a common sight for us to see the roads being dug every often in almost all the areas.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Rape an atrocity
to human society
The heinous crime committed on a mentally challenged girl by five brutes has be to condemned.
Infact the year-wise cases registered in South Goa itself are really alarming! How many victims have been delivered justice?
It is high time to deliver true justice to the victims and society. Can anyone imagine what trauma the victim and family goes through?
As soon as the evidence is confirmed against the accused; justice should be delivered. To deliver justice to helpless victims and to prevent the occurrence of more such rapes in our country, it is imperative that the accused should be sentenced to death.
Society please wake up! It could happen to anyone; of each of our near and dear ones too. Seek true justice to all women and children.
Are women safe even after 76 years of Independence???
Rosebud Leitao, Chinchinim