Editor,
Apropos the letter, ‘Critical levels of air pollution,’ by Venu G.S (ST 18 Nov, 2021) I have an important point to make. In Delhi, the AIQ has dipped to such an alarming state that the Supreme Court had to act. Now the farmers in Punjab can heave a sigh of relief as the apex court rejected the idea that stubble burning in their land contributed to 40% of the present pollution. The SC says that stubble burning does not even contribute to single digit pollution.
This periodic problem in the capital is actually geographical in nature as it occurs during the Diwali season and extends to January thereby affecting morning flights. That coal fired plants would have to reduce their dependence on coal is according to me not right. By this I do not advocate that India should delay the time for letting go of the use of coal by 2070. Around two million lives depend on coal even with scientific mining, but in the meantime they could be employed in the green energy sector if we really have to harness the 7,500 Km coastal belt from Bay of Bengal to Gujrat near the Arabian sea. And being close to the equator, we could reap the solar energy of 5600 trillion MW/hr per year.
The write-up also mentions old vehicles which had worried many vehicle users across the country. At one time scrapping of ‘old vehicles’ was on the centre’s list. Let us not lose sight of the engineering fact that the age of the vehicle be it car or truck does not depend on years of registration. A car bought after the emission norms imposed, in the 200O’s might have been bought by someone with a loan. They use it for going to office, school duty and some short trips. Per day they drive 40 Km, so for 24 working days and school days per month they would have driven 960 Km. For tourist vehicles, from Shillong to Borjhar Airport and back the mileage is 300 X 28 = 8400 Km per month!.
Another controversy that crops up in India is that the odometer is never sealed( the mechanical one).So it is tampered to read say 20,000 Km when in fact it had done 2 lakh Kms. In other countries where companies like Nissan, BMW Volkswagon, Kia., etc value their customers ,the catalytic converter guarantees about 180,000 Km. It means if the emission test is found to fail the company would look at the odometer. If it reads less than 1 lakh eighty thousand km, one has to pay only the fitting charge of the palladium or rhodium chemical located in the silencer box. But if the guaranteed length is crossed, then the cost of the item would need to be paid around 80$ or Rs 8000/-( depending on exchange).These companies have also recalled millions of their vehicles due to engine fire or emission problems and that too with an apology. It is rather sad that in our country ,we do not enjoy these, rather often when faced with problems, the quick response is never available. At times it takes a long wait for experts from the source to rectify. In short, after sales service is non-existent.
That argument on the age of the cars is clear. For trucks, if age is accountable, then there would be great injustice between the trucks with daily overloading( like our Meghalaya coal trucks, with workshops all along from Beltola to Lad Rymbai) and trucks that load according to factory specification with MOT 25% concession. And we at times are at the mercy of the State Pollution Board. Yes, the state- run testing agency may be fine in their job but with only two SPSBs in the state, what about the private vehicles not subjected to surprise checking by the govt?
So while talking about old vehicles, especially the scrapping threat, let those in power realise that in our country there are 97 % poor as against 3% rich, the poor cannot afford to buy vehicles the way the 3 % do. For now, our public who are worried about scrapping of 20 year old vehicles(Euro or Bharat complied) can rest assured that we are defended by law.
Yours etc.,
B.Lyngdoh Mawnai.
Shillong 3
Of sexual crimes
Editor,
The Supreme Court must be commended for setting aside a Mumbai High Court ruling that held that “skin-to-skin contact” between an accused person and a minor was necessary to establish a case under POCSO. The Mumbai High Court’s verdict that groping a minor’s breast without removing her clothes did not establish a case under POCSO had sparked off a controversy. Staying the High Court order, the SC said that the judgement was unprecedented and was likely to set a dangerous precedent.
It is a fact that over the years, there has been a substantial rise in the number of sexual crimes against children in the country. Unless strict punitive measures are taken, such crimes cannot be stopped. Sexual offences against children strip them of all dignity. When courts allow offenders to escape by trivializing their crimes, children are denied justice and deprived of their rights. Children subjected to sexual abuses develop psychological problems. It adversely affects their education and overall development. As they are the country’s future citizens, it is the responsibility of all concerned to ensure their well-being.
Courts must always deal with crimes against children with utmost care and seriousness. It must be noted that even a wrong touch is equal to an act done with sexual intent. It is worrisome that many offenders in sexual crimes against children get off scot-free due to lack of evidence, faulty prosecution or wrong judgements. When courts pronounce wrong verdicts in crimes against children, the hapless victims are left without any choice. As a consequence, people lose trust in courts. It must be noted that in many countries, sexual crimes against children are strictly dealt with and severe punishment is meted out to offenders. In contrast, in India such offenders do not get severe punishment. Despite the fact that capital punishment has been introduced for raping children, in most cases, such punishments are reduced to life imprisonment. A wrong move from the side of the judiciary will send a wrong message to society. Offenders will take advantage of it and it will lead to an increase in such crimes.
Yours etc.,
Venu G.S,
Kollam