Rumble-strips alert drivers
In an accident reported at Canacona a scooter in front of a car suddenly slowed down on reaching the rumble strips and in a bid to avoid ramming into the rear of the scooter, the car moved at the side and collided with the oncoming motorcycle. It is learnt that rumble strips have come to haunt motorists travelling on the Margao-Cuncolim stretch of the National Highway 66.
Rumble strips need to be installed as per specifications. It is not possible for a driver to gauge the height of the strips at every location as is possible with speed-breakers. Rumble strips can cause back injuries to two-wheeler riders and noise pollution in residential areas. The function of the rumble strips is to provide both an audible warning as also a physical vibration to alert drivers. They do tend to reduce speed, in most cases, but not to a practical level.
Many vehicles are seen speeding over the rumble strips. It is pertinent to note that if the rumble strips are not laid as per specifications, the vehicles passing over it at high speed tend to wobble hence the driver can lose control of the car and a two-wheeler rider can even have a fall.
It seems necessary to carry out an audit of the rumble strips installed on the roads in the state and see if they are as per specifications. Otherwise they could prove to be counter-productive.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
KTC terminal is a crying shame
The State-owned Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) bus terminal at Panjim is in the dumps. After years of wilful neglect and ruin it is today an eyesore with garbage galore strewn all over. What a disgraceful manner to welcome those visiting Goa and the inconvenience besides danger that it poses with health and environmental hazards for all who come to our capital; a very lasting awful impression of the once glorious Goa. The Kadamba bus stands in our other towns are no better. They all represent a chaotic, filthy, dangerous nightmare, poorly maintained, and run.
The Panjim bus terminal is virtually falling to pieces, the organisation having endured decades of rampant corruption and manipulation. No repairs or renovation can now rescue it. The entire structure must be razed to the ground and a state-of-the-art bus terminal for our capital city must take shape that must be built to last with zero tolerance to corruption or sleaze.
The roads around the KTC bus stand are also in a despicable state and very treacherous, especially for the two wheelers.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Teachers mould young minds
Well, teachers have a mission towards the young tender minds. The duty of a teacher is to mould and nourish the tender minds. We teachers should travel an extra mile to reach to our beloved students. We have to be open, give them factual knowledge and guide them.
Let not September 5 be one day in the life of a teacher where the teacher is elated. Let the students and teachers celebrate Teachers Day everyday with a close bonding thereby reaching their goal and the goal of the institute. God bless the teaching fraternity. God Bless all our students.
Estefania Lopes, Chinchinim
Congratulations teacher Morena
Congratulations! It was nice to see that Teacher/Headmistress Maria Morena Miranda receiving national Teachers award 2022 in New Delhi from the hands of president of India Droupadi Murmu. She is the headmistress of government high school in Morpirla, Quepem. Morena was among the 46 teachers from across the country who were conferred with the National Teachers Award.
Morena Miranda hails from Assolna and holds a master of science and bachelor of education degree. Morena has worked hard to see that her students come up life and it was a challenging job for her. She has won the hearts of every single student, teacher and staff in the school and taken the government school’s name on the top level in Goa.
I know Morena Miranda from the school days when I was a student of Guardian Angel High School, Curchorem. She is always there for the students to help and support them with her smiling face. We Goans are proud of you, keep up the amazing work.
Ronnie D’Souza, Chandor
Cyrus Mistry’s death is a rude shock
The death of Cyrus Mistry (54) in a car accident has come as a rude shock to the world of commerce and industry. The Former Tata Sons chairman was heading towards Mumbai from Gujarat when the car hit a divider.
As the Tata Group’s head, Mistry saw the turnaround of Tata Motors, which has now emerged as a significant player in the passenger car industry.
The low-profile business executive also helped the Shapoorji Pallonji Group recover from a debt crisis and mentored the next-gen leaders in the SP family. But alas, he has gone too soon!
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
Are our policies helping the poor?
Mahatma Gandhi had advised “Whenever you are in doubt, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man (woman) whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him/her. Will he/she gain anything by it? Will it restore him/her to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, “will it lead to swaraj (freedom) for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?”
India might have emerged as the fifth largest economy of the world; but would this “status” come in aid of billions of Indians languishing in the vicious cycle of hunger poverty malnutrition illiteracy joblessness with countless children compelled to undergo hard manual labour in brick kilns, shops and hazardous industries when they should have been playing and studying like free bird!
How cruelly the pathetic picture of the overwhelming percentage of Indian population gets swept under the “nationalist” carpet by banking on heartless statistical/economical jugglery!
Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkatta
Make St Teresa of Kolkata our model
On September 8, the Catholic Church all over the world celebrates the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is also known as the role model of mercy.
It is also a time for each one of us to introspect on the values of St Teresa, who founded the Missionaries of Charity and worked to support the poor and the downtrodden. This is also an invitation for us to imitate the values by reaching out to the poor and the needy of the broken world and the shattered society, particularly those isolated and neglected by society. Let’s open our hearts and reach out to the people who need our help and care. There is a need to help the unemployed people who go into depression and frustration caused by unemployment and take up negative ways like alcoholism, drug addiction, and other wrong ways.
This is an invitation for us to imitate St Teresa of Kolkata, who is known for ministering the sick and the dying in the world’s poorest areas. We have to imitate St Teresa of Kolkata to help who are not just physically sick, but those who are affected by different sort of addictions like drug addiction, alcoholism, etc. Hence, let’s pray to St Teresa that she will lead us in the right path to follow Christ’s divine path to heaven.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
