Introduce students to bird watching
In a celebration of winged wonders, the seventh edition of the Goa Bird Festival is reportedly set to unfold its wings from January 27 to 29, casting a spotlight on the enchanting theme of Wetland Birding. Nature enthusiasts and bird lovers alike will be treated to an extensive experience as delegates embark on guided bird walks through the picturesque wetlands of the state, discovering the hidden treasures of avian biodiversity.
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Goa, India’s smallest state, sandwiched between the Arabian Sea in the west and the Western Ghats in the east, is reportedly home to about 35% of India’s avifauna. Such festivals serve to raise more awareness on bird conservation. Goa reportedly has 473 species of birds of which 11 are endemic to the Western Ghats.
In the past two decades, bird-watching has become popular in Goa which has resulted in various important publications and records. Bird-watching tourism is considered to be one of the fastest-growing nature-based tourism sectors in the world. Incidentally the flame-throated bulbul (Rubigula gularis) is a member of the bulbul family of passerine birds, is the state bird of Goa. It is learnt that students from a school in Chandor recently had a thrilling experience at a bird-watching field trip at Oilem Tollem in the village, which has been notified to be declared as a wetland. Other schools need to follow in the footsteps and introduce students to bird-watching by including field trips in the school curriculum.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Impact based forecast needed
Chilly weather is not new to India. December and January are two months that knock the living day lights out of the residents. After the severe cold wave of 2013 and 2017, people of North India especially that of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), experienced bone chilling cold wave in 2019. Even 2020 and 2022 were not spared. A cold wave is declared when normal temperature is, or below, 10 degree Celsius, and below 4.5 notches than normal temperature for two consecutive days. 2023–24 seems no different as northwest and central India are experiencing severe cold conditions and dense fog. “Yellow alert” has been sounded in most of North India meaning situation may turn worse in the next few days.
Lack of active western disturbances, strong El Nino conditions and a strong jet stream are attributed to the current cold wave. Nature’s vagaries cannot be contested; they can only be alleviated. So, anticipation and patience become the key words in such exigencies. Indian homes are not built to accommodate severe cold conditions unlike those of the western countries. Arranging shelters and clothes for the destitutes is a demanding, but inevitable, task for a government. Lakhs of animals, tottering from the shivering weather need to be taken care of. Energy, agriculture, health, power and transport are crucial areas that are adversely affected; these warrant more impact based forecasts.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Ban sale of Ratol
In reference to the editorial, on the recent death of a cycling enthusiast who according to police DSR reports consumed ‘Ratol at home’ has raised an alarm over the sale of Ratol. It was reported that the people were ingesting Ratol for all kinds of problems like love failure, failure in exams, etc. Ratol paste, contains 3% yellow phosphorus which is commonly used as a rodenticide . As there is no known antidote for this poisonous substance, suicide by pesticides poisoning is a major public health problem and needs innovative interventions to address it.
Limiting access to means of suicide is very effective in preventing suicides. A few years ago, after a high-profile death of a woman in South Goa who was linked to a minister, the police was requested to ban rat poison, but it didn’t happen.
This fatal poison is freely available over the counter in toxic doses at very cheap prices. Most of chemicals are harmful to humans to some extent in the present unregulated environment. Despite promise in 2013, government has not done much to control sale of Ratol.
Time has now come to regulate and control the sale of Ratol, a popular and commercially available rat-killing paste, which has found favour with those trying to end lives.
K G Vilop, Chorao
