Beneficiaries of Corona
On the eve of July 16, I called my relatives living in Cuncolim to check if she is informed about the lock down for next 3 days, and could be extended depending on the situation until July 19. To my astonishing surprise, she said I have a problem, I don’t have Whatsapp. I heard, one gets all the updates and news forwarded by friends and relatives”. Call it Whatsapp, Facebook or YouTube, mind you, these are Carona beneficiaries.
Inclusion, publishing articles about the Covid-19 that are hyperbolic, fear-mongering and at times blatantly misleading.
Even big institutions have got it wrong, who are now woken up and are researching in the bargain taking U-turns time and again. The real sufferer and the loser is the common man, whose main topic on the tinto, bazaar, taxi, rickshaw or pilot stand is to share what they heard or read in these social media.
Apart from this fearful pandemic, the additional stress in Goa and as true Goan is to save the natural resources and environment that some blind flooded don’t care, which is hard to accept the day-light distraction on our own beautiful and innocent soil. Goa and Goans at large have maintained true integrity among all non-Goan colleagues and friends all over the world and thus, we do have our birth right to treat Goa with highest gratitude and respect as our ancestors taught us to earn gracefully, which only Legitimate Goemkar will understand.
Therefore, if you are, let’s help each other in keeping us safe during this Pandemic and protect us from environmental disaster to serve our Goa as true Goemkar – folio!
Gaston Dias, Sarzora
Assam battered
Flooding has become an annual affair in the important north eastern state. Nearly 40 per cent of the land is prone to floods in the state. The consistent flood ravage in Assam is attributed to the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers. Specially Brahmaputra’s ‘ instability’, in so far as its sharp slopes and sedimentation particles are concerned, combines with several factors to pummel the state. Mind boggling urbanisation is an offshoot of loss of forest cover. Encroachment of forest bodies and wet land is another reason.
Due to bank erosion, Brahmaputra’s width has risen by at least 15 km. The region falls under zone 5 in the seismic activity; earthquakes are a common occurrence. What the quake does is to cause landslides, and the resultant collapse of land leads to huge debris in the rivers that raises the river bed.
There are uphill dams whose unregulated opening brings in a deluge of water. Ironically, breach of embankments, constructed with an aim to hold back water, and prevent floods, are becoming the reason for floods. Water pressure and land erosion may weaken the embankments. Since they are earthen structures, their construction and design should be foolproof. Many a time, due to the natural properties of the river, embankments turn fragile. That’s why they need constant vigil and review.
Old and inferior quality embankments remain unrepaired due to paucity of funds or lackadaisical approach of the authorities. ‘Hill cutting’ happens when there is no systematic hill management policy that can halt rapid urbanisation in its track.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
True service to humanity
I don’t understand this whole hullabaloo about building a grand ‘ Raam Mandir’ at Ayodhya except to garner the Hindu vote for future elections. Politicians who had actively connived to demolish the Babri masjid are being invited as chief guests for the foundation stone laying ceremony. Expect a gathering of thousands of their acolytes at the site and consequently transmission of the Corona virus (see what occurred at Tirupati ).
If the politicians ,assorted sadhus and their followers really wish to serve the people they should build a dedicated Covid hospital or a vaccine research centre at the temple site which is the need of the hour. Service to the fellow man is the highest form of religion and I am sure even Raam/Nanak/Allah and Christ would agree with me here. What better service to humanity than a hospital at this juncture.
Vinay Dwivedi, Colva
Use Smart TV to help children
With COVID-19 cases surging in Goa, schools in the state are unlikely to open in August for the new academic year. It is understood that as of now, schools are likely to reopen in September after the Ganesh festival holidays when hopefully the situation will improve. Hence school children will have to follow online classes until such time that school commences. But students are facing a grave problem of lack of proper connectivity. It is understood that students have gone to the extent of moving to places where there is good connectivity like shifting to the fields, village temple and even beaches. Some may even be putting up at the residence of their relatives where there is a reasonably good internet connection.
It is pertinent to note that all families may not afford to possess an Android Smartphone and if there is more than one child in the family, one phone may not suffice to access online studies of different classes at the same time. Those who possess a Smart TV in their homes and have good connectivity, especially in the villages, could help these students by connecting their phone to the Smart TV and inviting children from the neighbourhood, especially from poor families, to their homes in order to access the lessons online.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Lot to thank BCG
In a survey conducted by the Health Ministry, it was was found that 23.48% of Delhi’s population, or one-fourth , to be Covid-19 positive. The majority of the infected persons were found to be asymptomatic.
If these huge figures are extrapolated to the entire city and other cities in the country, we can safely conclude that the real fatality rate is way below the current 2.48%, possibly 1% or even less.
This buttresses the claim that BCG which became mandatory in India from 1948, is really working in our favour. And this is a fact. Considering our huge population, poverty and slum population the fatality rate should have been in double digits. We have a lot to thank BCG.
Robert Castellino, Mumbai
Efficiency of the power department
I had received a message on my mobile which read as: “Dear Consumer, for any complaints in regards to power interruptions please dial 1912 the 24×7 Helpline of Goa Electricity Department”.
This morning we had a power cut in our area for 40 minutes and so I dialled 1912. The phone was picked up on the first ring and I was passed on to a person who asked me the nature of my complaint, the area and the period of the power cut. He told me that he would get back to me. Promptly he called backed within 5 minutes to say that there was a shut down and that the work was in process and that power would be restored in half an hour. Right enough in 25 minutes the electricity came on. Thank you gentleman, whom ever you may be and also the Power Minister and his staff. If this is the shape of things to come then Goa is in for better days.
However the electricity department needs to look into the complaint of the various consumers who have been charged exorbitant bills. In these difficult times, it is all the more important that the department should exercises additional care. Due to the lock down the bills have been issued after a longer period. The bills have been computerised and the rate for the total units would have been applied. In actual fact the law of averages should have been considered. This anomaly can be rectified if the computer is programmed accordingly.
Joaquim Pinto, Mapusa
