Murky water scenario
This is with reference to the news report ‘40% of Goa’s supplied drinking water is lost to leakages: Subhash’ (NT, September 3, 2025). That 40 per cent or more of Goa’s drinking water supply is lost due to leakages in the distribution networks is a repetition of what we have been reading about for the past decade or more. Crores of rupees have already been spent by the state government engaging the services of foreign water supply consultants; studies have been carried out for improving the drinking water problems, but to no avail. The problem boils down to poor management and maintenance by the PWD. Had a proper day-to-day check been carried out, we would not have had frequent pipeline bursts and leakages in the distribution networks. The replacement of old and corroded pipes is therefore the need of the hour and should be taken up on a war footing, with proper planning. A strict check on the sanction of illegal water connections for constructions, etc, and replacing faulty water meters will certainly help reduce the colossal revenue losses to the Goa government.
AF Nazareth, Alto Porvorim
Exchange waste for food
A café at Ambikapur at Chhattisgarh, owned by the municipal corporation, provides free food in exchange of plastic waste free food (NT, August 30, 2025). People bringing a kilo of plastic bags, food wrappers and water bottles are given a full meal and for half-kilo of waste, samosas or vada pav is dished out. This superb idea addresses hunger and the menace of plastic waste. In Goa the authorities propose to introduce a deposit refund scheme (DRS) whereby any one purchasing a non-biodegradable product (glasses, cans, plastic bottles etc.) would have to pay an additional amount. This fee would be refunded when the consumer returns the product packaging at collection centres. The government has appointed a Hyderabad firm to set up 300 automated collection machines for this purpose. Instead, the government could replicate Ambikapur’s scheme and provide local cuisine (veg thali, fish curry rice, bhaji-pav etc) based on the weight of non-biodegradable products that people would bring.
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
Exploiting slurs
It is condemnable that a young man made abusive remarks against Prime Minister Modi and his mother during the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar, and his arrest is justified. However, it is unfortunate that Modi chose to highlight this personal insult publicly during a campaign speech in Bihar, seemingly using it to gain political sympathy. Most people, if insulted in such a way, would avoid amplifying the slur to protect their loved ones rather than using it for personal or political advantage. Modi’s statement, equating the insult to his mother with an attack on all women of India, appears to be an emotional appeal to voters. Yet, this raises a troubling contrast: Why has the Prime Minister not shown similar outrage or empathy over the brutal violence against women in Manipur, where many were stripped, raped, and killed? Despite the crisis continuing for over two years and appeals from many quarters, he has not visited the state. Are those women not also India’s mothers, sisters, and daughters?
Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai
On mobile thievery
Kudos to the Goa police for returning 50 recovered mobile phones to their rightful owners. After the wallet a mobile phone could be the second most frequently stolen belonging that one carries. There are several videos doing rounds on social media showing how mobile phones are snatched from the hand of the owner while being seated next to the window of a moving train. The Goa police have urged the public to verify second-hand phones before buying them, stating that most lost or stolen devices end up being bought through resale shops. Possessing a stolen mobile phone can lead to arrest and punishment under the law, with penalties including imprisonment, fines, or both. To avoid this, one need to verify the IMEI number of any pre-owned phone, promptly report lost or stolen phones to the police and immediately deposit the handset at the police station, providing details about the seller. If the mobile has been lost or stolen, one can even get into a bigger problem. Fraudsters can use a stolen phone to access bank accounts and conduct financial transactions, leading to identity theft and monetary losses.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Sweet revenge
Indian doubles badminton pride, world number nine, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have done the country proud again by bagging the bronze medal at the recently concluded World Badminton Championships in Paris. It was a sweet revenge for the Indians as they beat the Malaysian stars Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik for the medal. The Malaysian pair had put paid to Satwik-Chirag’s hopes of winning an Olympic medal at the same venue a year ago. Although the Indian pair lost in the semifinals, their bronze medal winning effort made them two-time medal winners at the world championships.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
