Fire fighting foam must
to suppress forest
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Even after the blaze in some parts of wildlife and forest has been extinguished and fire fighting in other locations is still underway it is learnt that small patches of burned sites are reporting a recurrence of fire. This is probably so because unscientific methods are being used to douse the fire. It is understood that forest department personnel and locals take part in the fire fighting operation in the forest by using small branches of trees to put off the fire.
This will not douse the fire completely and the burning ember which is a small piece of wood that still burns when the flames of the fire have gone out, is sufficient to rekindle the fire. Even water may not be sufficient to completely douse the burning wood. What is necessary is to spray the area with fire fighting foam. It is a kind of foam used for fire suppression an its role is to cool the fire and to coat the material, preventing its contact with oxygen, thus achieving suppression of the combustion.
Water has long been a universal agent for fighting fire, but is not best in all cases. It may not suffice to just put off the blaze but the fire has to be suppressed from being reignited. Fire fighting foam is a material used for fire suppression.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Book those responsible
for the blazing flames
The recent fires raging at several locations in Goa are indeed cause for real concern. It does seem like these are stray incidents. This has apparently added to the heat wave conditions prevalent in Goa and across the country. Needless to say, whoever is behind these disastrous acts ought to be apprehended and brought to book. Oh, but that’s easier said than done! Nevertheless, the authorities must act now.
In the meanwhile, recently, the United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the High seas. However, whether that so-called Agreement or Treaty would stay only on paper, remains to be seen. On the face of it, this whole exercise seems hollow. There seems to be no real action on the ground, not just in our country but perhaps all over the world. However, we need to begin somewhere. We need to stop the ecological destruction in our own country.
Melville X D’Souza, Mumbai
Well planned conspiracy
Goa government has now reportedly decided to prohibit entry of people in the forest areas in the wake of multiple fire incidents in the state and to prosecute those intending to party within the forest/protected areas under the Wild Life Protection Act.
We Goans have never witnessed such type of sudden incidents in one go in the past and that too at one time in Goa. It looks like someone like Spiderman must have been unleashed to simultaneously set some of our hills on fire to slowly bring in destructive projects in different parts of Goa. Otherwise, why has the government not made a single arrest so far against those responsible for the blazes despite of registering an FIR after almost a week in Goa?
Looks like this is a well-planned conspiracy to somehow sell-off most of our land to the builders lobby.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Declining sex ratio
The National Family Health Survey of India has thrown up some startling figures for the state of Goa. The sex ratio at birth was always relatively good for the state with 938 females per 1000 males prior to 2022. However the figures for this year for Goa has declined sharply to 838 female births per 1000 male births causing alarm bells to ring. The ratio, if correct, is terribly skewed and will have disastrous consequences.
Bailancho Saad has expressed concern at this sorry turn of events in a progressive state. A former member of Goa State Commission for Women said that when she was a member a survey was done questioning the mindset of doctors. The doctors said that if the first child was a boy they would not go in for a second child. But if the first child was a girl then they would try for a second child. Correct me if I am wrong, but if that is the case, girls at birth should out number boys and not the other way around.
Robert Castellino, Calangute
The lurking danger of Ukraine N-plants
This refers to “Russian missile barrage slams into cities across Ukraine”, as a retaliatory measure for an incursion by pro-Ukrainian armed group in the Bryansk region, Russia launched its biggest aerial attack targeting energy infrastructure and civilian targets in Ukraine with a barrage of weapons including newest hypersonic missiles. The existence of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in a conflict zone and where the war is likely to intensify in near future makes it a dangerous place. As precautionary measures, the plant was disconnected from the central power grid to isolate it from the attacks on power plants. The Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear disasters which happened in 2011 and 1986 respectively are still fresh in mind. The Fukushima nuclear disaster was the result of the Tsunami. Destroying the nuclear plant in a missile attack can create a disaster of catastrophic proportions. Putin has already warned that he may use the nuclear weapons option as a last resort. Indiscriminate bombing and missile attacks could target a nuclear power plant and create unprecedented devastation. The war in Ukraine is more dangerous because of the nuclear power plants
Gregory Fernandes, Marcel
Divided they
all fall
The fracture in the Opposition became more evident as the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the Congress took turns insulting one another. K Kavitha from BRS fiercely denounced the Congress, maintaining that the latter had been reduced to a large regional party, and implored them to put aside their pride and confront reality. Congress responded with Jairam Ramesh, the general secretary, suggesting she should be more concerned about the Enforcement Directorate and jail. The schisms in the Opposition will have the BJP feeling glad.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
