Constant digging of roads, a menace
Digging up roads seems to be the duty of every authority in Goa. Commuters have been silently enduring the non-stop work on their infrastructure. There’s practically no road that hasn’t been dug up. All the public can do is to deal with shoddy roads and messy traffic. Road digging lead to a host of other problems in the area.
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The lack of co-ordination among the agencies in road digging increased public sufferings as some roads were excavated by several agencies one after another in a year. Once an asphalted road is dug up, it loses its binding, and fixing it does not entirely help. The lack of co-ordination, delay in implementation and no monitoring by the authorities make public suffer. Authorities claim that the city will see soon world-class roads but citizens can’t help wishing that they don’t have to suffer dug up roads.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Finally justice has prevailed
With the elevation of Goa’s senior most District Judge B P Deshpande as a Judge of the Bombay High Court finally justice has prevailed.
The Supreme Court Collegium on September 29 last year had approved the proposal of the Bombay High Court to elevate B P Deshpande but the government dragged its feet for over eight months, while conveniently clearing some Collegium resolutions swiftly.
It has to be always ensured that no injustice is done to upright Judges of integrity, regardless of whether the politicians are out to settle scores. The Government should never attempt to have pliable Judges presiding at our Temples of Justice.
The Constitution of India is very clear on the distinct roles of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. It envisages a free, fair and independent Judiciary. The highest standards of judicial independence must be ensured by warding off even the faintest trace of governmental influence on the judiciary.
With the sanctity of the other two pillars of our democracy currently dented, our only hope is the Judiciary. But with the government wanting to overpower the Judiciary too, there is a very disturbing disquiet over the slippery slope on which judicial values are slithering. The highest standards of judicial independence must be ensured.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
The beach is not a dustbin
This has reference to the letter ‘Govt must act against those littering beaches’ by Adelmo Fernandes (Citizen Herald, June 6, 2022). That was indeed a gory sight of a beach in Goa, littered with food, plates, bottles, and every other trash just a day after we celebrated what is called, ‘World Environment Day’.
This is a familiar sight in beaches like Aksa beach and Gorai beach and other beaches in Mumbai as well. People leave behind all kinds of trash before leaving for home, as if the beach is one big Trash can, a Big dustbin.
It’s so disgusting. We have what is called, the beach warriors, they will pick you their shovels and dirt bags, dustbins and go about collecting all the trash. And when the beach is cleaned they feel so good. But, is that the solution, because people will come and dirty the beach and leave it in a disgusting state once again? Should others go on cleaning the beaches which they have messed up? Something needs to be done about it.
It’s time the beach warriors and others involved in cleaning of beaches give up this exercise of cleaning the beaches. We need to educate the people that the beach is not a dustbin. They need to collect the trash and deposit it in the civic dustbins. In fact, they should be roped in to clean the mess. This has to come from within, of course.
Did they not learn in their younger days that ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’? The government or the civic authorities on their part need to get tough. They need to act against the offenders, whether those dirtying the beach or those dumping debris on mangroves/wetlands or cutting down trees, if they do not listen to sane advice. This planet Earth is the only planet which has life. It is our joint responsibility to take care of the Earth. Our very lives are at stake!
Melville X D’Souza, Mumbai
Preserve environment for future days
World Environment Day should be celebrated everyday! World environment day is celebrated on June 5, every year. This year groups in large numbers joined in cleaning South Goa beaches. Well done team! Hats off to your great work. We as citizens should ensure that this is done everyday simply by disposing our own waste or taking the trash back home and not littering it.
It is very important we preserve the environment for future generations and we enjoy the best seasons.
Elroy Lopes, Chinchinim
Pollution woes
The unbearable heat waves across the country have driven experts into a research mode though the exact underlining cause of such waves is no secret: global warming. Scientists have repeatedly said that climate change and global warming are inextricably linked. Needless to say, pollution is the most common culprit of climate change.
Both air pollution and water pollution are the leading cause of mortalities and morbidities all over the world. Approximately 4.5 million deaths are attributed to outdoor pollution and 2.3 million to indoor or man-made pollution. 6.7 million global deaths have both as causative factors. Alarmingly, India is reeling under the pollution onslaught, and water pollution is cited as one of the reasons for the rise in Dengue, the mosquito borne viral disease.
Apart from fossil fuels, household energy use and non fossil emissions trigger air pollution through pollutants. Particularly, the particle pollution, or the particulate matter pollution (pm), is a cause for great worry. India has exceeded the WHO standard threshold of PM 2.5 long ago. It is not as if only India is the culprit; almost all leading countries of the world are struggling to keep their air clean and clear. Smaller nations are not ‘pure’ either.
Apart from transport, industry and energy, household pollution and agricultural pollution are indeed grave to be ignored.
The consumers are driven by logistics and economy; the governments should address them.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Butterfly Park as eco-tourism project
It is learnt that the Forest Department has proposed a second government-run butterfly park at Mollem with central funds. At present Goa has a lone state-run butterfly park at its Cotigao wildlife sanctuary. Along with the butterfly park, development of a biodiversity park at Mollem has reportedly been proposed. More than 17, 000 species of butterflies are found all over the world. Of these, India is home to about 1500 species of butterflies which constitute 65% of total Indian fauna.
The intent of the butterfly box is to give butterflies a dry place to go during inclement weather or a place to hibernate during the winter. A butterfly house is a facility which is specifically intended for the breeding and display of butterflies with an emphasis on education.
India’s first butterfly park, also the largest in the world, was opened to the public in November, 2006 at Bangalore. A butterfly park can be a huge attraction for lovers of nature. They also serve as eco-tourism projects in order to create awareness and sensitize people on the importance of butterflies to the ecosystem. A butterfly park needs to have flowering plants the nectar of which attracts a large number of different kinds of butterfly species of butte. Be that as it may, a colourful butterfly in flight can easily be one of the most beautiful of nature’s creations.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
