THURSDAY, JULY 04, 2024
India, the worthy champions
Apropos the edit “Resilience makes India T20 champs” (July 1), India’s long drought in ICC tournaments finally wound to a close on a glorious note in Barbados. Since their triumph at the 2013 Champions Trophy, India had reached the knockouts of eight global ICC events, across formats.
There was never a doubt about Team India’s talent, but sport is as much about skill as it is about strength. India demonstrated that missing quality and emerged champions with Virat Kohli scoring timely 76 off 59 balls, Jasprit Bumrah’s superb spell, Suryakumar Yadav marvellous catch at the long-off boundary and of course Rohit Sharma’s unflinching belief in his instincts.
For Rohit and Virat, there could be no better time to call it a day. Likewise, Rahul Dravid too, will retire as India’s Coach with his head high. The team worked really hard to achieve this stunning victory; they deserve all the credit for lifting the glittering trophy. Now India is deservingly World No. 1.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
Transport fish in reusable containers
It is learnt that tonnes of thermocol waste has found its way on to the banks of River Sal. The waste was also found strewn in low lying fields at Seraulim during flooding. Lots of thermocol waste is seen lying just outside the wholesale fish market in Margao.
Since there is a fishing ban in Goa, most of the fish from outside the state comes in thermocol boxes. When improperly disposed of, thermocol ends up in landfills or water bodies where it takes hundreds of years to decompose and in the process releasing harmful chemicals thereby contributing to pollution and harming marine life. Thermocol is non-biodegradable because it is photolysis resistant. Hence, it is burnt to reduce the waste. But incinerating thermocol is more harmful than littering the environment. Polystyrene foam is used to make thermocol. Polystyrene, like plastics, wreaks havoc on the drainage system, entering water bodies and being devoured by aquatic species, therefore entering our food chain. Polystyrene leaches into the fish packed in such containers, contaminating them. When the container is exposed to sunlight, dangerous air pollutants are produced, contaminating landfills and depleting the ozone layer. Thermocol pollution is as bad as plastic pollution. Almost 95% of it reaches landfills and catches fire easily. There is a need to switch over to plastic containers to transport fish entering the state instead of thermocol containers.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Assagao controversy getting murkier
The demolition of the house at Assagao has created political controversy to police involvement in the unauthorised partial demolition of a house have sent shockwaves.
The entire state wants to know who is behind the illegal act. The question of vandalising of property or criminal trespass by miscreants herewith arise. Now it has become a fashion across the country to go and demolish people’s homes without any sanctity of law. No demolition of properties should be carried out without following the due process. Moreover it is not the job of the police to meddle with civil disputes and police officials cannot be given licence to meddle with the civil disputes. It’s disturbing that there is no positive action taken by the State to prevent such intervention by the senior-most police officer. The evolving narrative of the Agarwadekar family’s plight reveals the multifaceted dynamics at play in this high-profile case.
While the family’s unexpected reversal has left many in disbelieve. The investigators need to unearth the truth right from kidnapping, demolition, interference by senior police officer, political involvement and the final U-turn.
It seems this is the first time in Goa that state DGP has been accused by his own PI of involvement in this matter. Several HCs and Apex Court have given ruling that, property disputes come within the domain of the civil courts and the parties should approach those courts for their redressal. Police do not have the power and authority to recover money or act as a civil court for recovery of money. The police is to investigate the allegations which discloses a criminal act.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Inspirational story on mother’s love
This has reference to the report ‘A Journey into the Heart of Goa; a Mother’s love sewn with strength’ (Herald July 1, 2024).
Kudos to O Heraldo for this weekly series, ‘A Journey into the Heart of Goa’. Great effort of collecting real life stories of the how passion and love and resilience drives individuals to give off their best under extremely difficult conditions. The story of the 53-year old mother, Sabina particularly, who single-handedly successfully raised two special-needs children, was inspiring and encouraging. We all have our own burdens and sometimes throw up our hands in despair. I think this woman could be a model to imitate. Life is certainly not a bed of roses. Even roses fight their way through the thorns and come out smiling with their full blown fragrance.
Melville X D'Souza, Mumbai
Saligao road going from bad to worse
The main road stretch of Arrarim-ward, Saligao which was dug up by the labourers of the PWD for laying some underground pipeline network has still not been restored and due to which it’s condition is seen slowly going from bad to worse.
If the PWD officials wanted to casually leave this road in such a horrible condition after damaging the same and make the locals from the same area to suffer for the last two months, then why they had allowed their labourers to mercilessly vandalise this entire road stretch?
In contrast, the CHOGM road stretch too was also similarly damaged whilst laying some underground sewerage pipeline network a couple of months back but the same was somehow hotmixed and restored fully just before the monsoons. Now, why has the same thing still not been done for the above Arrarim-ward road stretch of Saligao? Don’t the people of Arrarim ward and surrounding areas pay their road taxes to the government? Or is it because our politicians don’t use this particular road stretch of Saligao daily whilst traveling in their official vehicles to reach different destinations in Goa?
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
