SUNDAY, JUNE 30, 2024
Use larvicide measures to contain dengue
Dengue is raising its ugly head in the State. The sudden spurt in dengue cases in Candolim and Nerul has not only scared the locals, but has also kept health officials on their toes.
The Candolim Primary Health Centre has reportedly issued show cause notices to a large number of houses, which were found to be major mosquito breeding hotspots.
Dengue cases have been detected in municipal areas of Canacona. Mapusa health officials are on the toes as suspected dengue cases have come to the fore. Cases were reported from construction sites and the patients were migrants. Dengue cases have been detected in Porvorim. The residents of Aquem-Margao fear a dengue outbreak due to uncollected garbage. Proper waste management is necessary to reduce breeding places.
Surveillance on hotspots by health authorities is needed. Dengue viruses are spread to people through the bites of infected female Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes. Awareness of dengue among urban slum dwellers is essential.
Fogging knocks down only the adult mosquito, and not the larvae that are the source of breeding. Larvicide measures, on the other hand, are recognised as an important intervention to prevent large-scale spread of dengue.
The main advantage of larvicide is that when the mosquito is killed in the immature life stage, which prevents transmission of the disease. Larval mosquitoes are found in areas with stagnant water such as wetlands or containers.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Air pollution is killing millions
The Health Effects Institute recently released a report on air pollution. In the world, there has been a great deal of air pollution and it has been reported that as many as 81 lakh deaths occurred in 2021.
India and China have the highest number of deaths and they account for 54 per cent of the total deaths. In 2021, around 1,69,000 children under the age of five died in India due to air pollution alone followed by Nigeria, Pakistan and Ethiopia.
Air pollution is the fourth leading cause of death in many countries after high blood pressure, poor diet and tobacco. Even small particles in the air cause death.
How can this air pollution be reduced? For this, vehicle smoke should be reduced. Along with that, trees should be planted and nurtured in large numbers. Clean water is also an important factor. It is advisable to reduce the use of petrol and diesel vehicles and use battery-powered vehicles instead. It is necessary for the government to put in efforts to reduce plastic waste which will lead to reduced air pollution levels.
There is a lot of air pollution in Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Many school children have developed respiratory disorders. During the Covid period, the clear sky indicated less air pollution.
Shantaram Wagh, Pune
Protect Goa for posterity
The builders, real estate agents and companies are all out to finish our peace in Goa. They are eyeing the properties of Goans and after taking the control of the towns in the State, they have now spread their wings in the villages of Goa to disturb the peace and the beautiful greenery.
The greed for money for selfish gains, has led to the selling of our village lands to the builders and real estate agencies by our selfish locals and MLAs.
They are clearing and passing the mega projects in Goan villages with the blessings of TCP authorities, greedy villagers, panchayats, local representatives by keeping the sons of the soil in the dark. Goa is the expensive place to live in and these bungalows, villas and apartments are sold out to outsiders for a hefty price. All this leads to pollution with the dumping of garbage in huge quantities, increase in traffic, struggle for water and electricity outages on account of this the Niz Goenkar suffers. All that we need is to voice our concerns against this and come out in large numbers to save and protect Goa for posterity.
Ronnie D’Souza, Chandor
Safeguard the environment
Ours is an abundant ecosystem which needs to be nurtured. We must make proactive sustainable and environmental friendly choices. We just cannot go on abusing the environment and expect it to nurture us in return.
How we treat the environment, is how the environment will treat us. An onslaught on the health and life of the environment is also an onslaught on our health and life.
It’s only when we stop burning fossil fuels, the temperatures will stop rising, which will result in a stable climate. It will be a new normal.
Jubel D'Cruz, Mumbai
Power tariff hike: Bhivpachi garaz asa
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, while speaking to media persons at the Mantralaya, Porvorim, on Wednesday, said that the people will have to bear with the ‘small hike’ in power tariff, if they want good infrastructure and uninterrupted power supply in the State. His government has already spent nearly Rs 2,000 crore on power infrastructure during his tenure.
Well, if Sawant has really done such a big favour for people by spending Rs 2,000 crore on power infrastructure during his tenure in the State, then how come most Goans are still suffering from frequent power cuts and fluctuations, especially during peak hours in different parts of Goa?
Secondly, Sawant has claimed that the power tariff hike will not affect the common domestic consumer much as their power bills will be increased by hardly Rs 8 to 10. Well, if he confidently still thinks that way, then why his government had not dared to increase the power tariff before the Lok Sabha elections in Goa?
Well, the people, who will not get affected with the latest power tariff hike are politicians, those working in government sector/offices/departments, but the rest, working in private sector and those earning peanut salaries will definitely get effected as they are the ones who will actually get a centre-shock after receiving their electricity bill amounts in the coming days and months.
Atam bhivpachi garaz asa.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
