Vehicles on the roads,problem of plenty
It is learnt that Goa tops the country in terms of number of households that own vehicles with eight in ten families having a two-wheeler and nearly 50% possessing a car. The high density of vehicles is cramping up road space and is a major contributor to the high rate of road mishaps according to transport officials.
In the contemporary era, everyone in the community wants to have a comfortable travel. Owing to this, numerous people use their own vehicles to commute to work, which has resulted in cities overburdened with cars. Besides road mishaps they are also causing other problems like traffic jams, lack of parking space, air and noise pollution with ill effects on human health.
In recent times, a revolution has been brought about in the field of transport and automobile industry. Advanced models of cars are being introduced in the market. Goans are increasingly relying on their own vehicles to commute daily since the public transport facilities are poor and taxi services are widely perceived to be expensive. The solution to the problem could lie in constructing better road infrastructure, usage of non-polluting vehicles and resorting to public transport.
Additional taxation could also be a viable option besides educating the public on the ill-effects of having more vehicles on the roads. Citizens could walk or cycle when they can. They could take public transport or carpool with friends instead of driving alone.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Give priority to all death cases
The way Sonali Phoghat case is being investigated and the way priority is given for this because she was a BJP MLA and the way chief minister passed statement saying ‘no one will be spared’ isn’t this an indiscrimination? Why the VIPs are always put in some special type of criteria? And the middle class people whose dear and near ones are killed, their cases are closed, saying can’t find evidence.
My humble request to our honourable ministers is that their top priority should be to solve the pending cases of the poor people. In the end, the poor and the middle class people are the ones who elected you to power. So your duty as ministers is to serve this people; whether a VIP or a poor man, every vote counts.
Anita Fernandes, Verna
Launch all-out war against drugs trade
The Goa government was somehow trying to take a political mileage by hurriedly demolishing the illegal Curlies shack at Anjuna under the guise of complying the verdict of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) upholding Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority’s (GCZMA) six-year-old order but had to backtrack as the Supreme Court in a swift order temporarily stayed the demolition of a part of the said shack’s portion thereby giving a major setback for the government.
Didn’t the State government know that the Curlies shack was promoting all types of filthy drug-related illegal activities in its premises since the last so many years in Goa? Then why was the government refusing to take any action against the same shack all these years and why it has suddenly woken up only after the mysterious death of BJP leader Sonali Phoghat from Haryana at the premises of the said controversial shack in Goa?
And what about the other famous shacks which are illegally running and which are also still wooing/entertaining domestic tourists by promoting not pav-bhaaji, vadha-pav, mirchi, chicken-xacuti, chouris-pav, sorpotel, lime-soda, soft drinks, live/DJ music, etc, but with all types of alcohol/drugs/prostitution related illegal activities in all the coastal belts of Goa? When will the government take a similar type of quick action and demolish these illegal structures as well in Goa?
I think that if the Pramod Sawant led-BJP government is really serious in making Goa a drugs-free state (as being currently hyped through the local media) then instead of selectively trying to demolish one or two shacks from the coastal belts to bluff Goans, it should launch an all-out war at the State level against all the big drug lords.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
NDA handling of India leads to climate woes
The harmful effects of global warming, climate change and along with these, heat waves, wild fires and flooding have impacted India to a very great extent during the tenure of the NDA government at the centre. This clearly shows that strict measures have been dispensed with resulting in so called “growth” with concretisation having multiplied exponentially.
Uncontrolled concretisation has left vast swathes of land submerged during monsoons. One of the big examples is of how the IT hub of India Bengaluru became flooded recently in a very alarming manner. This shows that unlike the UPA government, the NDA government has not taken into consideration the harmful effects of concretisation that has caused unusual anomalies in climate across India.
It should be borne in mind that reversal of climate change is much more different than prevention of climatic change causes by unfettered concretisation the so-called “growth” has harmed the weather pattern across India and this is a smear on the lax attitude of the NDA government. During the UPA tenure India’s environment was much better looked after. Climate change is a man-made phenomenon.
Stephen Dias, Dona Paula
Kartavya Path vs Karma Path
Not a day passes without the BJP indulging in controversies of every hue and cry. The latest being the inauguration of the much hyped Kartavya Path on a stretch of Central Vista from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. This project appears to be mired in controversy given that all the national TV channels were debating on the issue of shedding the colonial past by changing the name of Rajpath, purported to be an icon of the British Empire to Kartavya Path, an embodiment of public ownership.
The panelists in the discussion, including the grandson of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose whose statue adorns India Gate, were of the opinion that the mindset of the event management team entrusted with the job has to change. In a similar vein they were of the view that the Raj Bhavans and Rashtrapati Bhavan should be converted into museums and that the gubernatorial post of governors and President should also be abolished as they are the symbols of British legacy.
Back home, our Chief Minister Pramod Sawant known for his quixotic ways was totally confused with the name of Kartavya Path and renamed it as Karma Path. The local channels as a gesture of entertainment allotted him more air time to enthral the viewers with his doublespeak.
Everette Assis Telles, Margao
Avoid gadgets while driving
It is observed that individuals prefer using their gadgets while driving. It is certainly wrong as one cannot concentrate on driving. This act puts the life of a careless driver along with the life of some innocent at risk. Using devices like mobile phones while driving leads to numerous fatal accidents.
The best thing an individual could do is ignore the call while driving. If it is an emergency the most appropriate act would be to simply indicate to the vehicles behind about you wanting to halt your vehicle and answer the call.
The concerned authorities should look into the matter and also take strict action against the violators of traffic rules. The individuals, who notice someone using gadgets while driving, could signal them to stop doing so. Also, requesting every individual to kindly act responsible while driving.
Lisa E Fernandes, Quepem
Suicide prevention
The incidence of intentionally causing own death refuses to die down. It can safely be said that suicide has already reached pandemic proportions. Globally, approximately eight lakh people commit suicide every year that amounts to almost one in forty seconds. Total number of suicide deaths was 1,64,000 in 2021 as compared to 1,53,052 in 2020. It is the second leading cause of death in the age group 15-29 in the country.
National suicide rate in India was 10.4 per one lakh population and approximately 1,39,000 people took their own lives in 2019. Many more make a vain attempt to end their own life, or “attempt suicide”. Also, many acts of suicide may have been disguised as natural deaths failing to meet any of the criteria defined by the government to be considered a suicide.
According to the United Nations (UN), only 28 countries have an action plan in place for prevention of suicide which reflects a low priority of countries for the daunting health problem; that’s worrying because suicide has ceased to be a problematic health issue. It is a public health disease that directly affects the young though no age is exempt from suicidal tendencies. Nowadays, loss of a precious life due to suicide is passed off as another thing.
Family and societal intervention, keeping a close watch on the person’s body language, highlighting suicidal symptoms, and professional help can go a long way. Awareness has to be heightened on the suicide helpline numbers, making sure the numbers work efficiently, the dos and the don’ts when a suicide attempt is suspected, and immediate emergency measures.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Avoid gadgets while driving
It is observed that individuals prefer using their gadgets while driving. It is certainly wrong as one cannot concentrate on driving and violate the traffic rules. This act puts the life of a careless driver along with the life of some innocent at risk. Using devices like mobile phones while driving leads to numerous fatal accidents.
The best thing an individual could do is ignore the call while driving. If it is an emergency the most appropriate act would be to simply indicate to the vehicles behind about you wanting to halt your vehicle and answer the call while your vehicle is stationed. Thus, being the most convenient and responsible act.
The concerned authorities should look into the matter and also take strict action against the violators of traffic rules. The individuals, who notice someone using gadgets while driving, could signal them to stop doing so. Also, requesting every individual to kindly act responsible while driving.
Lisa E Fernandes, Quepem
