Loss of life due to stray cattle
This has reference to the sad news ‘Scribe dies in accident’ (Herald, August 31) of a life being lost due to the stray cattle menace. But yet no one will pay heed to the urgency of the situation. We need to take this incident seriously. Grievous injuries, people left with fractures, scooter riders falling off from their bikes due to cow dung everywhere is a common experience. Only those who suffer will realise the pain. We riders have to dodge cattle everywhere and in turn risk our lives.
Riding at nights are very risky too as nowadays heavy rain makes it very difficult for cattle to be visible resulting in accidents. A big request to Govt, panchayats, municipalities and cattle owners to please auction these cattle and make the roads free.
We pay thousands in road tax, but neither roads nor lives are safe here. Respect human lives please. When will the hardships faced by common man on our roads end? Instead of Smart City, make the whole of Goa clean and ours roads worthy.
Mario Rodrigues, Soncrem
Immerse the Idol in flowing water
According to the science of spirituality, Chaitanya (Divine Consciousness) gets attracted to the Idol of Shri Ganapati in large quantities as a result of meticulously performing ritualistic worship of the Idol during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. By immersing the Idol in flowing water, this Chaitanya reaches far and wide with the flowing water and many people benefit from them. This water evaporates, too; hence, it makes the atmosphere sattvik (pure) and spreads through it. As Chaitanya is present in the nirmalya as well, that too should be immersed in flowing water to spread it far and wide. Nirmalya from the ritualistic worship too should be immersed in flowing water. As flowers and foliage are organic substances there is absolutely no question of their causing water pollution.
Shilpa Nadkarni, Ponda
Shooting from hip
There are some lawmakers of the country who do not think twice before shooting from the hip on rape cases. They assume they are ‘elders’ whose words carry immense weight with the masses whereas it is just the opposite. Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanedra, for example, seemed to care less about public sentiments when he advised girls to avoid deserted places after evening to ‘safeguard’ themselves.
The minister was commenting on the horrendous rape incident of a college girl that took place at the foothills of the famous Chamundi hills in Mysuru. A few days after the crime, the accused were caught in a neighbouring State.
But the first-time minister went overboard with his reactions and observations. Shifting the onus on the victims, by trying to abdicate their responsibilities, comes too easy for ministers.
Yes, the Mysuru shocker may have been prevented if the successive governments had cared to install some safety measures along the stretch to the temple where the crime took place.
The whole of Mysuru and Karnataka, and even India, were watching in a daze as the police went about their difficult task of piecing together available evidence with little clues left behind by the perpetrators of the crime.
They said the girl did not give them any kind of statement. One has to remember that they have a dual task of not only apprehending the offenders but also ensure that no innocent man is caught. Indian police have done exceptionally well when they are given a free hand, and the Mysore police have proved just that.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Allow only vaccinated pets to enter Goa
Goa may have been declared as a rabies-controlled State, however, the State govt is taking no chances as far as pets accompanying visitors to the State is concerned.
It is learnt that the government has erected hoardings at the State borders and entry points alerting visitors entering Goa to ensure their pets are vaccinated.
While the focus now is on allowing into the State visitors who have been fully vaccinated for Covid-19, it is encouraging to note that the focus on zero tolerance towards rabies is not lost. All dogs and cats entering the State by rail and road need to be registered on arrival. If the pets have not been vaccinated then it is understood that free vaccines will be provided by the ‘Mission Rabies’ team if required.
It is learnt that door-to-door vaccination of dogs will be taken up across the state from April 2022. Rabies is a viral disease that causes inflammation of the brain in humans. The symptoms include fever followed by nausea, vomiting, inability to move the parts of the body, fear of water among other symptoms. Once these symptoms appear, the result is almost always death. The best way to prevent it is to vaccinate the pet animals in the house regularly.
‘Mission Rabies’ has been rendering yeomen service in this regard. The only way the rabies virus can reappear in Goa is from non-vaccinated pets brought by the visitors from other States. Hence these steps taken by the government are absolutely necessary.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Congress should focus on Big Battle
With the Grand Old Party finally settling its leadership issue in Goa, by retaining Girish Chodankar as GPCC Chief and Digambar Kamat as Legislature Wing leader, the party’s focus should now be on the big battle of 2022. Both the so called ‘Old Guard’ and ‘Young Turks’ are now duty bound to work in cohesion.
With Congress having suffered a lot due to defection of elected representatives from panchayat to the assembly level, the party has a tough task on its hands and should work out a rainbow coalition of multiple parties and outfits to emerge as a truly representative alternative. The Cong also needs to come out with a manifesto that emphasises on solving various problems like unemployment, mining issues, maintenance of heritage structures among other problems. Only then will the people of Goa get attracted to the Grand Old Party once again.
Anish Esteves, Mumbai
‘Monumental’ climate annihilation ahead
Heritage structures across Goa are set to be massively impacted by climate change, which is knocking right at our doors; freakish weather conditions are already wreaking havoc , triggering decay in the walls and foundations of these monuments. Rapid urbanisation, increased precipitation and concretisation of land which earlier soaked in rainwater and blockage of natural drainage channels has amplified many adverse effects of climate change
In Old Goa, the heritage landscape pummelled by unplanned development, the crisis has already commenced to unravel with ancient low lying buildings caught between massive surface runoff and a swelling river. Compromised stability resulting from natural water channels being blocked by the adjoining highway led to the collapse of a portion of the 16th century Safa masjid at Ponda, the 11th century Tambi Surla temple is also facing rising dampness and masonry deterioration, there are many other such examples across the State. Unsustainable development, cutting of hill slopes, expansion of roads and altered hydrology are eating into the green cover. Wetlands and paddy fields which are sinks for runoff water from the hills, protectors of the water table and repositories of rich biodiversity are being purposely destroyed to accommodate the builder’s lobby and land sharks, construction permits are being liberally issued like confetti raining from the skies.
The govert needs to enact targeted bylaws with low FAR and ground coverage, protect existing watersheds and hill slopes.
The time to act is now.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
