Editor,
With regards to the present vulnerable state of the entire nation, the worry of the localities seems to have aggravated all the more due to the closure of the sources of their livelihood. A question to be pondered upon is why only selected shops have the permission to open their shops in the adjoining areas of Bara Bazar? Can’t we resort to other alternatives like other states which allow people to open their shops either area wise, line-wise or shop wise where everyone gets the option to open and clear their perishables, because as we know, to buy and run our livelihoods we also need money..
Moreover if all the people flock to open their shops at once that would be cumbersome and inviting threat. Hence this is a prayer to the concerned authorities to kindly allow people to at least open their shops in turns which will also lead to goods not being damaged and those be made available to those in dire need..
This is just a suggestion and is not intended to offend anyone.
Yours etc.,
Pooja Prasad,
Via email
The Nizamuddin disaster
Editor,
It is really unfortunate that a religious gathering at Nizamuddin has resulted in a massive rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. The cluster cases centred around the Tablighi jamaat conference in Nizamuddin , Delhi raise the big question- are we moving properly in our desperate fight against COVID- 19 ? The Delhi-based headquarters of the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin in South Delhi has suddenly become the latest Covid- 19 hotspot in the country. The congregation at Nizamuddin has become a ticking bomb for Covid-19.
A massive exercise is underway to identify and track hundreds of people who attended a Tablighi Jamaat conference in Nizamuddin, Delhi this month. Many have spread the coronavirus infection far and wide. The governments in various states have issued orders to trace all possible contacts the delegates may have made after their return from the Nizamuddin event. The religious gathering saw a congregation of around 2, 000 people , including many from foreign countries. Over 1, 000 have been evacuated, over 300 hopitalised and over 700 quarantined. Many who attended the meeting have tested positive for the virus and at least 10 have died.
When scores of people were suspected to be infected with the deadly coronavirus in Nizamuddin area, the residents accused the civil and police administration of not heeding to their repeated complaints about a large number of people who had converged at the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz amid the coronavirus outbreak. Delhi police did not take any steps despite the government prohibiting such gathering to check the spread of the virus. The Tablighi Jamaat is known for its indulgence in Dawah Chilla(religious education among non-believers with an intent to convert them to Islam) activities across the country. The outfit has workers , both foreigners and Indians and is backed by radical outfits.
Like the patient 31 in South Korea, India now has super-spreaders in Delhi. It is of great concern that these super -spreaders carry the virus to different parts of the country. It is an irony that the followers of Islam, a religion that teaches people to do good to others have led people to irresponsible destruction in the time of a pandemic. They ignored all social distance rules to avoid the coronavirus and stayed at Nuzamuddin’s mosque complex. Some of the missionaries entered the country on tourist visa avoiding disclosure of the purpose or nature of their visit. Many of them who attended the conference travelled to other parts of the country and they contacted a large number of people.
This negligence serves as a warning to the government. Government must crack down on all faith-based or social congregation with an iron hand and maintain strict vigil. Though the government claims there has been no community spread, it has already started. There is urgent need of a large number of testing kits, protective gear and apparatus to counter the spread. A thorough probe is needed about the sequence of events. Both the organisers of the gathering and the local administration which allowed such a gathering exhibited a high degree of irresponsibility.
The Nizamuddin case underlines the importance of focusing on high-risk clusters. It is also a cue for Indian health authorities to expand testing. The next step in India’s battle has to be a focus on high-risk locations.
Yours etc.,
Venu GS,
Via email
Nature is breathing easier
Editor,
While the world is grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic, environmentalists are deriving an exhilarating experience from the fact that our earth is getting a breather from the relentless degradation and exploitation by mankind. Yes, a complete lockdown has enabled the earth to become cleaner day by day. As a matter of fact, the earth is healing itself from the deep wounds inflicted by humanity over the years by way of maintaining strict lockdowns and social distancing as part of human efforts to contain the pandemic.
The earth been cleaned in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Urban as well as sub-urban areas have started experiencing a resurgence of nature as the lockdowns have brought with them fresh air, clearer skies and the revival of urban wildlife. There are more birds singing these days and the flora is actually looking green instead of the usual dusty brown. And frequent light showers in the last few weeks have definitely washed out the dirt and pollution and freshened up nature.
Satellite imagery shows signs of nature scoring a victory. Both environmental researchers and scientists have evaluated the air quality, one of the most prominent parameters. With unnecessary travel being discouraged and manufacturing units facing a closure, the data gathered shows the emergence of cleaner air. According to a research by Columbia University, both carbon monoxide and carbon-dioxide emissions were observed to have fallen by around 50 percent and 10 percent respectively in the bustling city of New York. The subdued humdrum surrounding tourism and the reduced number of motorboats in Venice has led to cleaner waterways.
In India, nationwide lockdown is also providing perfect conditions for olive turtles to lay eggs in Odisha’s Gahirmatha beach and Rushikulya’s rookery. Usually, this event is known to attract huge crowds and officials from the Forest Department which involves considerable effort and resources to patrol gatherings, protect the eggs and later release the hatchlings into the sea. However, this time around, there were no such interruptions. Air quality in Delhi, notorious for being the worst in the world is now a healthy zone thanks to the nationwide 21-day lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19. Other metropolitan cities too are witnessing a similar trend. Thus, the pandemic in a way has become a blessing in disguise.
Of the 30 most polluted cities in the world, 22 of them are in India. However, following the country-wide lockdown pollution levels have begun to significantly decrease. Authorities and environmentalists must know this great positive change in the environments and they must take practical steps to sustain this cleaner environment even after the country-wide lockdown is revoked. It is difficult to achieve a clean environment and even more difficult to sustain it. Modern man’s victory lies in sustaining a cleaner environment.
Yours etc.,
TK Nandanan,
Via email