Amchi Mhadei,
amkam zai
River Mhadei is the mother of Goa. Not only Goans, but also the people from Karnataka, who are working and staying in Goa for years, drink the water from Mhadei river. Kannada people in Goa make a big noise over building their Kannada Bhavan in Goa, but are silent on the ongoing save River Mhadei issue. All human beings need drinking water. Remember that it’s a gift from God to us and not a single person has the right to destroy the environment which is created by God’s will. We have elected our MLAs to save and protect our Goa and Goans, but most of them have sold themselves for the greed of money and power. BJP at the Centre is playing a divide and rule game with both the Goa and Karnataka.
Karnataka CM and BJP government wants to win the election in that State by raising the Mhadei River issue by fooling around with the people of Karnataka by diverting the water for agriculture projects with the excuse of providing drinking water. All I can say is that BJP government in Karnataka has gone in election mood and wants to win the election anyway. We, Goans will fight for our rights to save our River Mhadei which is the lifeline of Goa.
It’s a shame on the BJP government and its leaders for playing dirty mind games with the people from both the States.
Ronnie D’Souza, Chandor
Screen documentary on Mhadei River
Mhadei River water has become the centre of discussion at all levels right from the Goa Legislative Assembly to the homes and rightly so. The detailed project report (DPR), which was approved despite objections from Goa, comes as a setback to Goa’s efforts to stop Karnataka from diverting Mhadei water. According to environmentalists, Mhadei happens to be the only river out of the eleven rivers in Goa that provides the maximum quantity of drinking water to Goa. It is learnt that 43 per cent of people in Goa get water from Mhadei. However in the past probably not many Goans were aware of the importance of the Mhadei River. This could be so because of the lack of environmental education in the school curricula. The Mhadei Bachao Andolan (MBA) was formed in 1998 to educate all on nature and the importance of Mhadei River for Goa. People from different sections of society are part of this movement. As Mhadei River is the lifeline of Goa, citizens of the State should be well versed about its significance, which only a well-documented film can provide. It is learnt that poets, writers and filmmakers of Goa have reportedly started using social media to spread awareness on protecting the river. A documentary by name ‘Mhadei-Lifeline of Goa’ has been made in order to spread awareness of the consequences of diverting the water. It would be in the fitness of things for the government to make it mandatory to screen this documentary at every cinema hall in the State before the start of the film.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Good augury
India’s emphatic one-day series win over New Zealand has come at an appropriate time. Come October, the country’s cricket fans are set to be regaled by cricket teams all over the world in the 13th cricket World Cup. It is advantage India because the hosts have traditionally done well on home pitches. One can recall the famous 2011 win when MS Dhoni and his men beat Sri Lanka at the Wankhede stadium to bring home the cup after 28 years. An avid cricket fan is hoping the team would repeat its performance after a decade. The team has some work to do before finding the right balance, but things seem to be slowly falling in place.
The thundering form of Shubhman Gill is great news for the team, and one hopes the youngster is at his best for the extravaganza. Similarly, Mohammed Shami is looking increasingly dangerous with age; his partner Mohammed Siraj is improving with time. If Jasprit Bumrah recovers and returns to the side, the pace bowling department is going to look ominous for the opposition batters. India’s batting middle order appears solid and that the management is lost for choices for some key positions indicates all is well in the middle order. Another key area where the team is clicking well is fielding, a crucial area in limited overs cricket. So, whether it will be “all’s well that ends well” for India after a forgettable 2022?
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Climate reparations needed
Climate reparations refer to a call for money to be paid by the developed countries to the developing countries as a means of addressing the historical contributions that the developed countries have made towards climate change. According to the framework for climate change, it is the wealthy nations that have contributed the majority of greenhouse gas emissions since 1850, which is generally regarded as the start of the industrial age. Only 3% of historical emissions are accounted for by a nation like India, which is currently the third largest emitter. Since 1840, China, which has been the world’s largest emitter for more than 15 years, has contributed about 13% of all emissions. China is receiving funds towards climate change, whereas our country not received anything from developed countries. The Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damages was set up in 2012 and it was the first formal acknowledgment of the need to compensate developing countries struck by climate. Our country is not been supported by any developed countries in this context. Therefore our country needs climate reparation to combat pollutions.
Vijay Kumar H K, Raichur
Sabalenka clinches
first Grand Slam
The women’s fight for supremacy in a grand slam has always been in recent times dodgy and uncertain. In the last 10 years, no woman tennis star has won the Australian Open in consecutive years. So surviving the seven rounds of gruelling competition took great tenacity and efforts and to triumph is all that much sweeter, although it has to be agreed that there was more pressure to perform on those who were more fancied.
In the Australian Open, 2023 final, Belarus’ fifth seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated Kazakhstan’s 22nd seed Elena Rybakina.
In a dramatic reversal of fortunes, Sabalenka came from a set down to clinch her first Grand Slam by winning in three sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a match that pitted for the first time finalists both from the erstwhile Soviet Union. Sabalenka fired 16 aces to Rybakina’s 9.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
India on top in white ball cricket
The new crop of young cricketers are doing exceedingly well with Surya Kumar Yadav (SKY) named as the ICC Cricketer of the Year in the T20I format and Mohammed Siraj whose name is included in the ICC Team of the Year in the ODI format. In addition, Siraj is currently topping the bowling rankings in the same ODI format. White ball cricket has changed the way cricket is played and these youngsters have made it their own. This augurs well for Indian cricket in times to come.
Srinivas Kamat, Alto St Cruz
Be responsible citizens
It is disheartening to see our national flag being strewn on the streets soon after the Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations gets over.
The national flag is a symbol of the nation’s pride and it should be respected. But plastic and paper flags sold during the Republic Day and Independence Day celebrations, often end up in the garbage or are strewn on the streets. It is the duty of every citizen of India to maintain the dignity of the national flag.
Not only the national flag, but the national anthem and the national song should also be respected.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
