Editor,
Salil Gewali is an accomplished and extremely knowledgeable writer. Whatever he wrote about the unprofessional functioning of BSNL is not untrue. He said nothing wrong; every consumer of BSNL knows it. Also, I feel that, there is nothing wrong if a writer exploits the opportunity to use the word ‘great’ for someone. In a democracy he has the right to do so. Of course, Gewali should not have exposed the name of the employee. But I think that cannot be a big issue because his primary objective was to bring out the inefficiencies of BSNL for which the public are suffering. Gewali’s write-ups on the wrong-doings of Mamata Banerjee are also nothing new or isolated. The people of India are not unaware of it. I personally feel that it is useless now to write anything about the likes of Mamata because most of them already got what they really deserved. The will of God shall prevail. It cannot be defeated by intimidation or deceit.
Yours etc.,
PS Gupta,
Via email
Of shortsighted ideas
Editor,
With the arrival of the monsoons to our hills, the water crisis may be solved. Let us view this crisis from a long term perspective and look at the whole year instead of just the monsoons. With the arrival of the rains the oil film would temporarily disappear. The Wah Umkhrah with its catchment areas and banks destroyed by human settlements, and the new proposal to fell trees on the slopes of the Shillong plateau for building roads are examples of a lack of vision. As far as the Umkhrah River is concerned, where vehicular waste has exceeded the water, it has reached a point of no return. It now remains to be seen how we address the more serious one of felling trees on the Laitkor slopes. Are we fully convinced that this road will not result in drying up of the catchment that supplies water to Shillong? Is alleviating traffic snarls more precious than water? We had experienced enough of traffic jams at Puriang and Sohryngkham when “load as much as you can,” was the economic doctrine of the 80’s to 2000.
Now coming to another crisis – that of shortage of beef in the market – we cannot replace beef with anything else. For beef eaters it’s also the cheapest meat and the only item for many poor people like us. The few exceptions of people who stay away from beef do so for medical reasons. With the Indo-Bangladesh border notoriously porous and with our neighbours on the other side being the largest consumers of beef, the only item left for us is Nutrela. Mushrooms, even if identified as edible are not available in plenty. We have sadly missed the bus, when lakhs of our unemployed youth were not assisted to rear cattle. Now it’s too late.
Let us pray that the beef crisis would soon be over. Let us realize one startling fact which is that we should enjoy beef as much as possible for with a telescopic political view of our landscape the future of beef as a food item in our beloved State is very grim indeed.
Yours etc.,
- Khyriem,
Via e-mail
Learning to value water
Editor,
The much-awaited Southwest Monsoon hit Kerala state on Sunday afternoon after initial hiccups with the low pressure formed in the Lakshadweep area advancing northwest side. The state had been experiencing unbearable heat for the last few months though moderate pre-monsoon showers gave some relief too. But elsewhere in the country, the heat wave is claiming precious lives as the temperature has gone up unbearably.
The most important issue the nation faces now is non-availability of fresh water throughout the year in the country and the government is still clueless as to how to harness rainwater in a big way during abundant rainy period. Another disheartening aspect about the people’s growing fad that comes in the way of harnessing rain-water is that they cover the compound of their house with concrete/tiles. This prevents rain water from seeping in to the soil, hence the earth ceases to receive fresh water and the depletion of water saved inside the soil will lead to drought.
Here in Kerala too rain-water goes waste like water off a duck’s back in a literal sense during the Monsoon period. Perhaps, the abundant availability of rain without fail during the Monsoons may not have taught Keralites to harness nature’s freshest water to the hilt. Just as a burnt child dreads the fire, Kerala has to face an acute shortage of fresh water, which will only teach the authorities to run for taking steps to harness rain water.
Preserving abundant rain-water during the Monsson season must be made mandatory with the government’s implementing its plans. A required number of artificial ponds must be constructed in each village with afforestation of trees surrounding the ponds. This will prevent the water from evaporating easily.
With central India becoming too hot and the condition of water scarcity reaching its zenith, people are very much distressed. But the onset of Monsoon in Kerala gives them hope too as the rainy clouds would march towards central India very soon and start raining there very shortly. As the winter retires, surely the spring cannot tarry any more. It must step in. So, the people in distress due to hot weather can surely embrace the rain as it is on its way.
Yours etc.,
TK Nandanan
Via email