Find cause of accidents
There has been much talk about rising number of accidents. However, one needs to go beyond raising slogans of traffic safety and responsible driving and identify the individual causes of accidents. One of these is rash driving by four wheelers that dangerously tail gate vehicles in front. Particularly bad is speeding by trucks, buses and pick-up vans that have a poorer braking facility compared to cars and which need to have a lower speed limit. There is also a large element of truth in the recent complaint of truckers that two wheelers are frequently responsible for accidents. Dangerous driving and overtaking on the wrong side, cutting across from the front of a four wheeler and changing lanes without watching for the traffic on the other lane are a few of the reckless acts committed by many two wheeler drivers. There is a large blind spot to the left of four wheelers and a slight swerving of the vehicle to the left can bring a two wheeler on the wrong side under its wheels. The police generally go on a spree of targeting any particular traffic violation, such as riding without helmets or driving without seat belts. Instead, they should watch out for every single violation and punish errant drivers. Punishing for rash driving after someone dies in an accident is not the solution; catching them before is the answer.
Seshagiri Raghu Kumar, Dona Paula
LED project
The decision of the State government to implement the ‘Ujala’ project of the Central government by providing three LED bulbs to domestic consumers at a concessional price of Rs.25 each is most welcome. The project aims at making homes energy efficient and reduces consumption cost. LED (light emitting diodes) bulbs are designed to save energy. A 9 watts LED bulb gives light as bright as that of a normal bulb of 60 watts. The government has decided to replace all street lights also. The State is expected to save up to 78 million units of power annually.
However, the government will have to ensure that it procures good quality LED bulbs from reputed manufacturers and not go in for the lowest tender according to its standard policy. If the bulbs given are of poor quality and get fused is a short time, people are not likely to buy new LED bulbs at the market rate of Rs.450 each when normal bulbs are available for Rs.12. This will defeat the very purpose of the project. Secondly, and more importantly, the electricity department will have to redouble its efforts in providing interruption-free power supply of stable voltage. The power supply in rural Goa is so poor that people often wonder whether they are living in the 21st century.
Rodney De Souza, Assagao
Keep beaches open
The fishermen have been the guardians of the beaches of Goa for centuries now and they have rightly stood up to the nonsense ruling by the government that allows for beach shacks to stay on beaches during the monsoon. First of all this will drastically change the topography of these beaches as the sand dunes and other aspects of the beach ecology will be affected. Secondly, just as in Baga, Anjuna and other places, permanent structures and sewage pipes will soon happen and slowly the beach will be taken over by nefarious entities.
Conrad Remedios, Colva
