Guirim lake and Tar River
It was very kind of CM Pramod Sawant to visit the Guirim lake and take first stock of the situation. He could have gone a little further and visited the River Tar also to see how many experts have visited this tiny stretch of river to find a solution to the blocking of the waste being dumped in the river.
It does not require rocket science to know that if you block the free flow of water it will surely result in flooding and this is what can be seen for the last many years. The Engineers and Contractors who do these jobs without proper planning must be brought to book along with the MLAs and Ministers who inaugurated these projects.
Matias Lobo, Tivim
Abundant rain & faulty planning
Our little State of Goa has been off late (let’s say last 3 years) receiving good, abundant rainfall. If one has a little chat with our ancestors, they will tell you this rainfall brings back memory of their yesterday days monsoons. The management on how to control the flow of water, inundations and floodings in villages and cities is nothing but purely the fault of the governments/local bodies.
The so-called degree engineers of today, who either work for PWD or the elite companies know nothing in practical life, but only study to attain a degree. Practically they are zero on ground level. Our ancestors will tell you how in their days there was much more rainfall and excellent water drainage which was taken care of and supervised so professionally by the Gaonkars. The fields were a source for water accumulation and extra water from the field would over flow into streams or so-called today’s nullahs.
The successive governments/local bodies, to loot the State coffers and to cheat the voters, started building concrete drains/nullahs and these are all today a white elephant, because no one cleans them before the rains, which leads to water clogging all over. In “smart city” like Panjim one would see the rain water gushing from Altinho down to the city and the Portuguese built drainage, in the heart of the city, would then take this water into the Mandovi River. Today am sure Smart City Engineers, the PWD engineers and Municipal Engineers, have no idea about the existence of these said drainage, as the same has either been clogged or concreted.
Going by Friday’s news, wherein the CM visited Guirim to witness the floods; whose fault is it for the flooding of the fields and damage to crop and houses? The highway developer, Dilip Buildcon; the unorganised planning of National Highway Authority or the State Government? I am of the opinion all three. None did a proper study of the so-called development. They only create disasters. Let us not blame rain God for such a heavenly blessing, but let us curse our country´s developers. These disasters should not be termed as natural disaster, but planned illiterate man-made disasters. Very soon we shall see a major disaster on the Bambolim-Margao and Cortalim-Verna Hills, that have been cut by the road developer without applying a single mindset of engineering.
Allen Noronha, Porvorim
Protect police personnel from infection
It is learnt that about 20% of the police force in the State contracted Covid since the pandemic broke out last year, with four of them succumbing to the virus. One thousand five hundred and ninety-right police personnel have reportedly tested positive so far, of which 21 are still being treated while others have since recovered from the disease which included home guards and reserve police.
Police personnel have been the frontline warriors during the pandemic as they were entrusted with various duties which brought them in close proximity with persons who may be carriers of the virus. Their duties included monitoring law and order, enforcement of the lockdown, curfew and containment zone and even thermal checking of people. Many police personnel could have comorbidities which make them vulnerable to the virus. Vaccination of the entire police force is the need of the hour.
They need to get both the doses of the vaccine which will give them necessary protection from the virus. Even the traffic police have to work under trying circumstances during the monsoon season as many-a-times they have to stand in the rain for long hours with just a raincoat to protect them.
Those with low immunity could be susceptible to the Corona virus. Cops have been the unsung heroes during the pandemic. In order to protect them from the virus, those with even a mild fever need to be granted sick-leave. There should be zero instances of police personnel contracting the infection while on line-of-duty.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Door-to-door vaccination needed
With 15 days to go for the State to achieve its target of partially vaccinating its entire population, at present there are close to 2.5 lacs unvaccinated persons; at this rate we would have to deliver 16,000 jabs per day to meet the target and the only way to do it is to go in for door-to-door vaccination.
A few areas have seen drive through vaccinations which has benefited senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Even the Dean of GMC has recommended this format for bedridden patients and physically challenged persons.
A proposal for regularisation of door-to-door campaign has been submitted to the Ministry of Health but as yet no consent has been received. The main challenge cited is maintenance of cold chain facilities from the hospital to vax centres and the mandatory 30 minute post jab observation period. Hopefully these concerns shall be overcome and permission would be granted soon for door to door vaccination.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
