Alert citizens from Benaulim recently intercepted a vehicle dumping waste near the church compound in Pedda. The erring person was ordered to take back the waste and the garbage he had dumped earlier, and was also made to pay a fine of Rs 2,000. Alert citizenry is necessary to keep a check on such acts, especially under the cover of darkness. There have been several instances wherein garbage has been transported in vehicles only to be dumped in open spaces and water bodies. While the state is grappling with the problem of garbage, the act of using vehicles to dump waste must be considered a very serious offence. Just imposing a fine on the defaulter might not act as a deterrent. RTO officials should suspend the permit of such vehicles. This will send a stern warning to those indulging in such practices.
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I fully support the views expressed by Pravin Sardessai from Adpai in his letter "Act against drivers talking on cellphones" published in 'The Goan Everday' on September 4, 2016. Talking on mobiles while driving/riding is a menace which should be nipped in the bud. The traffic police are not very serious in tackling this problem. Challans are issued for those not wearing helmets, while those who use mobile phones while riding are ignored. I have even seen police officials talking on mobiles while driving. The transport department as well as the traffic cell should strictly enforce rules and levy heavy fines to curb this practice. A mere Rs 100 fine is not enough. This amount should be increased to Rs 500-1,000 for those violating the law, and the mobile phone must be confiscated.
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The news report that appeared in 'The Goan Everyday' on August 30, 2016 regarding a mobile tower that was erected in water tank at the residential colony in Gogol, Margao is indeed strange. There are also many such towers in Goa that are mostly erected in residential areas atop homes. It has become a trend to allow such installations owing to the financial benefits. As an expert on mobile tower technology, I know that depending on transmission power at a particular zone, the radiation is not harmful for those residing in the vicinity of a tower within a certain radius. That also includes the owners who have installed towers on their homes.
Some years back, some residents from Batulem in Panaji and Dona Paula had complained about a mobile tower that was erected in a residential area. After some protests, the amplitude of transmission energy was reduced within the permissible limits. To clean this confusion, the government must issue guidelines on whether such mobiles towers are to be completely banned in residential areas.
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