Cuncolim rises against industrial waste
Residents of Cuncolim are reportedly on the war path again over the failure to cart away the hazardous zinc waste from the Cuncolim Industrial Estate. The hazardous waste has reportedly left the water bodies including drinking water wells and rivulets polluted and contaminated. It is learnt that local leaders have called for an urgent inspection of the hazardous waste dump by officials of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) and IDC. It needs to be noted that the people of Cuncolim have been waging a sustained struggle over decades in support of their demand to end both air and water pollution at the industrial estate. Ever since it was commissioned in November 1992, Cuncolim Industrial Estate has been a bane for locals. Citizens have warned that they will be forced to take to the streets to protest against pollution at the Cuncolim IDC. Incidentally both the steel units and now the fish meal and fish processing unit located at this industrial unit have come under the scanner. It is learnt that a host of health issues are affecting the locals. These include respiratory to skin allergies, asthma and kidney diseases. Over the years people have been suffering from sinus problems, tuberculosis, psoriasis, dust allergy and burning sensation in the eyes and even chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Following repeated complaints from locals of air and water pollution GSPCB has reportedly begun the work of odour monitoring of some units of the industrial complex. There is a need of installing an ambient air quality monitoring system, conducting a check of hazardous waste dumping and conducting a survey of groundwater and surface water in and around the Cuncolim IDC in order to ensure compliance with environmental norms.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Musk’s failed savings
The impact of Elon Musk’s actions on the US government and its ability to serve the public will be felt for years to come, despite many of his cuts being quickly overturned by the courts. His aggressive tactics—including extensive budget cuts, raids on government and personal data, and a ruthless approach to firing employees and shutting down agencies—have left a troubling and lasting legacy. The irony is that Musk never came close to his original goal of $2 trillion in savings. He kept shifting the target—from $2 trillion to $1 trillion, then down to $150 billion. In reality, the final savings will likely be no more than $20 billion, though we may never know for sure due to the lack of transparency in how he calculated those figures. Musk’s actions highlight the stark difference between budget cuts and their human cost. His harsh treatment of government workers and the many Americans who rely on their services caused significant and lasting damage. Musk’s hubris inflicted severe harm on thousands of civil servants, critical agencies like USAID that support people worldwide, and essential government programmes relied upon by the public—from air traffic control to veterans’ benefits to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. As a result, many Americans grew to deeply resent him, and his Tesla business suffered significant setbacks. Karma, it seems, always finds its way back.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Tharoor’s bold stand
There’s no doubt that the delegation led by Shashi Tharoor achieved a significant victory. Despite being from Congress, like Anand Sharma and Salman Khurshid, Tharoor staunchly defended India on foreign soil and fought with great determination. When the delegation expressed disagreement over Colombia’s statement supporting Pakistan, the state withdrew its statement and “will issue a statement of strong support for our position and understanding of our position,” according to the Congress MP. On the other hand, this highlights the Modi government’s shortcomings, especially when US President Donald Trump—often seen as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close ally—claimed for the ninth time that American diplomacy prevented a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. Trump said, “We stopped India and Pakistan from fighting. I believe that could have turned into a nuclear disaster, and I want to thank the leaders of India and Pakistan, and I want to thank my people.” Though unbelievable, Trump—like Modi—seems to follow the idea that “a lie repeated often enough becomes the truth.” By repeatedly making this claim, he is essentially suggesting that Modi misled the Indian public. This raises a key question: if Trump had no role in the ceasefire, why did the news of it come from him and not from India on May 10? While our External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has repeatedly denied Trump’s mediation claims regarding the India-Pakistan ceasefire, Trump continues to promote his own version of events.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad
