Train level crossings
Level crossings account for almost 60 percent of lives lost due to rail accidents. Though the Railways has removed all unmanned level crossings on broad--gauge routes, there are nearly 559 unmanned crossings on metre--gauge and narrow--gauge routes, according to an official number. However, there are approximately 17,000 manned Railway crossings across the country.
Over bridges, underbridges and road diversions are some alternatives for enabling commuters to bypass the level crossings safely.
The Railways, it is said, plans to remove all level crossings by the end of 2025. Broadly, rail volume, road traffic and road conditions determine the necessity of level crossings.
Maintenance of equipment and roads at level crossing cannot be overstated. Generally, the road surface is broken at the crossings due to massive traffic flow and track upkeep procedures. Road surface should be smooth and portable.
Concrete hexagonal block structures are more useful in certain conditions to maintain smooth roads.
Speed breakers, whistle boards and road warning boards need to be properly maintained. Poor visibility issues should be improved upon. More than anything else, patience and common sense of road users are critical for overall safety.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Schooling for kids of migrant workers
It is learnt that the Directorate of Education has reportedly made it mandatory for labour contractors working in Goa, to ensure that children of migrant workers, below the age of 14, are admitted to schools and that as a proof a declaration has to be submitted to the District Collectors.
It is true that children must not miss out on their education. However, migrant workers form a major part of the floating population in the state. They could be employed by the contractors for a short period of time until the work is completed.
These workers could be migrating to other States in search of work. Hence the children will have to discontinue their studies in Goa once their parents migrate.
Then again there is the question of the medium of education. These children could be studying in their mother tongue in their native State. Making them switch to a different medium of education in Goa could be doing injustice to the kids.
Making school mandatory for children of migrant workers may help the State decrease the number of out-of-school children. However, it could even encourage these workers to settle in Goa for good. The population of Goa is bursting at its seams and the State has reached beyond the carrying capacity.
It is learnt that many of the ‘out-of-school’ children of migrant workers have returned to their native places. The education aspect of children of migrant workers is best left to the rationale of their parents.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Pledge drastic cuts at CoP29 in Azerbaijan
Climate change has become an extremely concerning issue that is causing ravage across the world. The CoP29 conference is being held on November 11 till November 22 in Baku, Azerbaijan amidst the occurrence of catastrophic events in the world.
Take this massive deluge in Valencia, Spain, the citrus fruit bowl of the world known especially the famous Valencia oranges. Recently, it poured a little over 19 inches of rain in 8 hours, which destroyed a large portion of this area.
The government of Spain had announced a relief of $11.5 billion for this great tragedy, which is a huge financial burden. At least 211 people were known to have perished in this calamity.
Also in 2022, 68,988 wildfires burned 7.6 million hectares of land in the world, followed by nearly 12 million hectares of land. An area the size of Nicaragua was consumed due to wildfires 2023. The total loss in life and property must have been immense.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton ravaged the United States recently, causing huge loss of property and life also. These are the recent catastrophes that have ravaged the earth. Unless the CoP29 climate conference does not drastically reduce fossil fuels consumption, the world will not be able to limit the rise in temperature to 1.5 degree Centigrade with respect to the pre-industrial temperature, which was pledged at the Paris Climate Conference.
It is known that the temperature has already increased 1.7 degree Centigrade already. The foremost emitters of carbon dioxide and methane China, United States, European Union and India have to pledge drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in order to control climate anomalies that are wreaking havoc on earth.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
Wordplay is a
captivating art form
It was only to be expected that some newspapers would indulge in puns with their headlines while covering the news on Donald Trump’s victory in the US elections. Two such headlines were really good: “Harris ‘Trump’led” and “Tr(i)ump(h)”.
Wordplay is a captivating art form that allows us to play with language, creating clever and often humorous effects through the manipulation of words.
One common form is the use of puns, where words with similar sounds but different meanings are cleverly intertwined. The following two puns are sure to evoke instant laughter: “I’m reading a book about anti-gravity; it’s impossible to put it down!” And, “I’m on a seafood diet. I see food, and eat it.” Consider this too: “I really want to look for my missing watch, but just don’t have the time.” Puns are more than just jokes; they’re linguistic acrobatics. They demand a sharp mind and a quick wit to construct, as well as a willing audience to appreciate the humour. Whether they make you laugh, groan, or roll your eyes, puns have a unique way of sticking with us.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai