Thoughtless move
This is with reference to the news report ‘Power dept-induced internet outage affected 4 lakh users ( NT, February 27, 2025). The relentless drive undertaken by the electricity department of cutting cables of internet service providers and cable operators of televisions, hanging from electric poles in Panaji, was a step in the wrong direction and needs to be condemned outright. As a result, around 4 lakh users including banks, offices, business establishments and residences were affected across the state. According to reports, there are around 75,000 electric poles with around 30,000 km of cables strung around these poles. The question that arises then is: what was the department doing over the past five years or more, and what kind of site inspection was carried out by their linemen and inspectors? The matter has now snowballed into an almost impossible task of removing these cables. The only alternative now is underground cabling, which the government is believed to be contemplating. Demanding payment of an annual hefty fee of Rs 300 per pole is even more atrocious.
AF Nazareth, Alto Porvorim
Rein in rental cars
There was a hit-and-run accident that took place in Siolim on Wednesday, which pointed to a rise in fatal road accidents in the state. Most of the times the vehicles involved are rental cars, and the accidents have been caused due to overspeeding. Tourists who rent a car drive the vehicle recklessly since the vehicle does not belong to them and they cannot be responsible for the damage caused to the car. Civil society has called for a ban of these rent-a-car businesses. In February 2024, the state government implemented stringent measures to enhance road safety, making the installation of speed governors mandatory for rental vehicles. The presence and operation of speed governors needs to be verified during the renewal or issuance of fitness certificates for transport vehicles. Speed governors play a crucial role in regulating vehicle speed, contributing to safer roads and minimising the risk of accidents. A predetermined speed limit is set on the speed governor. The question that arises is whether a check is kept by the police on the installation and efficient functioning of speed governors in Goa, especially with respect to rent-a-car.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
The world of rare diseases
There are some uncommon diseases that require attentive care. Globally, there are some 350 million people who live with about 7,000 of what are called ‘rare diseases’. A disease is said to be ‘rare’ when it affects fewer than 1 in 2000 people. According to the WHO, a rare disease is that which affects fewer than 66 per 1,00,000 population. The neuromuscular ‘fields condition’ is said to be the rarest of them, and has affected three people of Wales, two of them being identical twins. India is said to have 263 rare diseases, and 1 in 20 suffers from a rare disease. That more than 75 per cent of rare diseases are of genetic origin, and 50 per cent are present from birth, further complicate things. ‘More than you can imagine; an anthology of rare experiences’ is the unique theme of the Rare Disease Day on February 28 because the trials and tribulations endured by every ‘rare patient’ is so distinctive.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
On tunnel disasters
Tunnel disasters, one after another point to a tunnel vision on ecology and safety protocols. Fifteen months after the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel disaster in Uttarakhand in November 2023, now eight workers have been trapped in a tunnel in Telangana. The Silkyara tunnel had collapsed trapping 41 workers for 17 days. After they were miraculously rescued by rat hole miners, the project restarted and an operator was killed when a machine on which he was sitting fell into a 25-feet-deep trench near the mouth of the Silkyara tunnel. There must have been a lack of evaluation of safety and environmental issues before undertaking such projects. This is a dangerous practice.
Sujit De, Kolkata
Ukraine as a pawn
Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger once said, “It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.” As the world watches helplessly the completion of three years of the Russia-Ukraine war, the situation has moved beyond the military conflict as Ukraine has now been reduced to a pawn in the geopolitical chessboard. The big powers are making moves to gain strategic advantage at the cost of the continued misery that the pointless war has inflicted on people. What is ironic is that Ukraine, which was once hailed for its heroic and brave resistance in the face of Russian invasion, has been left out of the peace talks being spearheaded by the US and Russia. Russia, the aggressor, is a key player in the negotiations while the victim, Ukraine, is made to watch the proceedings from the sidelines. Ukraine is set to lose its rare earth minerals as Trump seeks to leverage these resources as bargaining chips in a potential peace deal. America has been using war tactics to gain control over other country’s wealth.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
