Put an end to noise pollution
Noise pollution is unwanted sound. It is a form of environmental disturbance. Noise pollution is very dangerous for human life as it affects the brains and prolonged exposure to noise may cause blood vessels to contract, sometimes resulting in hypertension. In fact pollution of any kind can cause serious damage to man, animals, birds, aquatic life, crops and vegetation. Noise pollution can affect the brain and make people lose composure and this can lead to heart attacks and strokes in the affected people.
Noise pollution in Navi Mumbai is high especially during festival times. But, however, the city police did a wonderful job in controlling noise pollution during Ganesh Chaturthi. But during Navratri, pandals were berserk with DJs and speaker systems that rattled windowpanes of adjoining building, with not a care for the elderly and sick. In fact, before closing time at 10 pm and 12 midnight, the noise levels were at their peak.
Diwali witnesses unprecedented levels of air and noise pollution. Noise pollution, on account of ever jarring speakers and the over abuse of fire crackers, has become the cause of concern for many, as it is the root cause of various health ailments and unrest. Navi Mumbai especially witnesses high level of noise pollution.
The noise level in some parts of Navi Mumbai is already high due to heavy vehicular traffic, industrial operations and commercial activities. This increases during Diwal. It is important that noise pollution is controlled during Diwali season as due to bursting of fire crackers, the pollution levels go up all time high.
Voluntary organizations should come forward and spread awareness about the noise pollution during Diwali. Children should be taught in school to limit the use of crackers that cause noise pollution. There is a law made by Central government for control of noise pollution but it has been found that the law is rarely enforced. So it is high time this law is applied. Police of Navi Mumbai should stop selling of fire crackers that has sound levels beyond certain specified decibel levels. Also there should be helpline number made available to report high level of noise pollution. Noise pollution can be controlled if the concerned authorities have the will to do so.
Kamothe urgently needs CIDCO's attention
A visit to Kamothe will make you aware of the plight of the residents over here. Kamothe is full of neglected open spots. At one particular spot in Kamothe you will find a large open plot of land surrounded by posh buildings on all sides. This space was once an undeveloped part which later became a dumping ground and now it is a stinking lake with large volume of garbage floating. This lake is now used to throw debris and household waste.
The existence of such a place not only endangers the health of the residents living around it but also it affects the business of the developers who find Kamothe a place where many outsiders want to come and reside or settle down because the residences over there are sold at affordable prices. Many have already come and resided over there. There are residents who have taken big loans and purchased flats over here. These people have no choice but to quietly face the dangers posed by such dirty open spaces.
Kamothe is considered as paradise for builders who are developing multi-crore projects over here. These builders even approached CIDCO's authorities and pleaded to them to do something drastic about these severe problems existing in Kamothe. These builders even pay infrastructure development funds to CIDCO at the time of sanction of any project. What are CIDCO's authorities doing with all these funds? Why don't they utilize these funds to provide all the necessary facilities and amenities to Kamothe region? They are not even bothered about the fact that many parts of Kamothe have become a hell that gives birth to infectious diseases.
As far as Kamothe is concerned, it is high time CIDCO made use of its waste management and health department to get rid of garbage menace and gave relief to the residents over there. At some places in Kamothe the stink is unbearable. The residents keep their windows closed and don't allow their children to play outside lest they fall sick owing to unhygienic surroundings. During monsoon, the situation over here is horrible since the level of accumulated water rises to an extent where it becomes dangerous for residents residing on the ground floors of their buildings. Kamothe also needs proper transport facilities and also medical centers since at present the chances of residents catching malaria or dengue are very high owing to the existence of many open filthy spots over there.
So the residents of Kamothe can do nothing but hope that very soon CIDCO's authorities will feel pity for them and come to their rescue like Gods.
Form a strong auto-passengers' unionThere is no authority or force to control auto-men who refuse to ply according to meters. Why are meter-readers installed in all autorickshaws? They are installed to ensure that passengers are not cheated. Installing of meter-reader was a brainy move on the part of whoever invented it. Meter system was the best thing to happen for auto-passengers.
But auto-men in Navi Mumbai seem to have taken law into their own hands. Many of them don't charge passengers as per meter. They make the passengers pay whatever amount they demand. They are not afraid of Law. That's because they have strong unions which protect and support them. This gives rise to the question as to whether these unions are meant to encourage their members to do whatever they like even criminal things?
RTO officials have launched a crackdown on errant auto-drivers many times. But these actions have failed to bring under control these auto-drivers whose unions are so strong that even political parties have to bow down before them.
In Navi Mumbai many auto-drivers don't care to refer to the meters. They demand any amount they want. Despite several meetings and representations with the authorities no effective steps have been taken to force the driver to use meters. As a result the commuters are forced to travel paying higher fares. Some drivers don't even care to install meters meters in their autos. They settle the fare according to their will. If the passengers question them they use their organizational strength to intimidate passengers. Neither RTO nor policemen seem to have the courage to prevent them from being so high-handed.
What is the solution to this problem relating to these auto-drivers? There is only one solution. It is high-time all the auto-passengers united and formed a union which is much stronger than all the autorickshaw drivers' unions put together. This is the only way to teach these autocratic auto-men a lesson.
Two sides of our world
On one side, the world is a rather nice place to live in - and only becoming better. Despite current economic woes, the world has never been a sunnier place. Rewind 100 years; newspapers were few and far between, accessed largely by privileged men, TV and the internet nowhere in sight, electricity and running water matters of marvel, travel from India to Britain taking months, populations threatened by starvation, epidemics or wars, the world beset with divisions of race, caste, gender and creed - it can't have been too nice. Today, wars have waned, colonialism is firmly contained within the pages of history books, global wealth is far more equitably shared, major diseases stand eradicated, mobiles and social networking sites enable people to communicate thoroughly, international travel takes some hours - and we're all living many years longer to enjoy these developments. Today people harbour a powerful belief in what's possible; leaving behind the dark ages of superstition, myth and discrimination, millions now enjoy a 'can-do' spirit science, rationality and philosophy have bestowed. We live in vibrantly liberal times; Scientists, states and citizens alike are countering global warming with innovation. We live in times where there is freedom and equality, creativity excelled at, the human spirit better-fed and more driven to share resources and solve problems than ever before.
But on the other side life is still nasty and brutish. Just look around you. All you find is a surfeit of urban squalor, traffic chaos, air pollution, raging conflicts over land, water, and so on. For many rural and urban people, life is still an inescapable daily grind. Dwindling farmlands and reduced yields are driving more farmers to cities, themselves bursting at the seams. Behind their glitzy veneer lie sprawling urban slums. The expanding urban poor, living in cheek-by-jowl slums, next to open drains, do not even have proper sanitation facilities. True, they may have mobile phones. But they still can't access decent healthcare. Children and adults continue to fall prey to preventable killer diseases like malaria, diarrhoea, tuberculosis.
Morality and ethics have become passe in a world ruled by profits rather than any lofty credo. We hear about protesting farmers, driven off their lands by powerful political and corporate lobbies; or sweatshop workers agitating for decent wages and work conditions. The world can't be a better place when nations are scrambling for more sophisticated weaponry to kill with greater precision. The threat of terrorism, civilian deaths in war-torn countries have made human lives more dispensable.
Thus these are the two sides of modern world.
Noise pollution is unwanted sound. It is a form of environmental disturbance. Noise pollution is very dangerous for human life as it affects the brains and prolonged exposure to noise may cause blood vessels to contract, sometimes resulting in hypertension. In fact pollution of any kind can cause serious damage to man, animals, birds, aquatic life, crops and vegetation. Noise pollution can affect the brain and make people lose composure and this can lead to heart attacks and strokes in the affected people.
Noise pollution in Navi Mumbai is high especially during festival times. But, however, the city police did a wonderful job in controlling noise pollution during Ganesh Chaturthi. But during Navratri, pandals were berserk with DJs and speaker systems that rattled windowpanes of adjoining building, with not a care for the elderly and sick. In fact, before closing time at 10 pm and 12 midnight, the noise levels were at their peak.
Diwali witnesses unprecedented levels of air and noise pollution. Noise pollution, on account of ever jarring speakers and the over abuse of fire crackers, has become the cause of concern for many, as it is the root cause of various health ailments and unrest. Navi Mumbai especially witnesses high level of noise pollution.
The noise level in some parts of Navi Mumbai is already high due to heavy vehicular traffic, industrial operations and commercial activities. This increases during Diwal. It is important that noise pollution is controlled during Diwali season as due to bursting of fire crackers, the pollution levels go up all time high.
Voluntary organizations should come forward and spread awareness about the noise pollution during Diwali. Children should be taught in school to limit the use of crackers that cause noise pollution. There is a law made by Central government for control of noise pollution but it has been found that the law is rarely enforced. So it is high time this law is applied. Police of Navi Mumbai should stop selling of fire crackers that has sound levels beyond certain specified decibel levels. Also there should be helpline number made available to report high level of noise pollution. Noise pollution can be controlled if the concerned authorities have the will to do so.
Kamothe urgently needs CIDCO's attention
A visit to Kamothe will make you aware of the plight of the residents over here. Kamothe is full of neglected open spots. At one particular spot in Kamothe you will find a large open plot of land surrounded by posh buildings on all sides. This space was once an undeveloped part which later became a dumping ground and now it is a stinking lake with large volume of garbage floating. This lake is now used to throw debris and household waste.
The existence of such a place not only endangers the health of the residents living around it but also it affects the business of the developers who find Kamothe a place where many outsiders want to come and reside or settle down because the residences over there are sold at affordable prices. Many have already come and resided over there. There are residents who have taken big loans and purchased flats over here. These people have no choice but to quietly face the dangers posed by such dirty open spaces.
Kamothe is considered as paradise for builders who are developing multi-crore projects over here. These builders even approached CIDCO's authorities and pleaded to them to do something drastic about these severe problems existing in Kamothe. These builders even pay infrastructure development funds to CIDCO at the time of sanction of any project. What are CIDCO's authorities doing with all these funds? Why don't they utilize these funds to provide all the necessary facilities and amenities to Kamothe region? They are not even bothered about the fact that many parts of Kamothe have become a hell that gives birth to infectious diseases.
As far as Kamothe is concerned, it is high time CIDCO made use of its waste management and health department to get rid of garbage menace and gave relief to the residents over there. At some places in Kamothe the stink is unbearable. The residents keep their windows closed and don't allow their children to play outside lest they fall sick owing to unhygienic surroundings. During monsoon, the situation over here is horrible since the level of accumulated water rises to an extent where it becomes dangerous for residents residing on the ground floors of their buildings. Kamothe also needs proper transport facilities and also medical centers since at present the chances of residents catching malaria or dengue are very high owing to the existence of many open filthy spots over there.
So the residents of Kamothe can do nothing but hope that very soon CIDCO's authorities will feel pity for them and come to their rescue like Gods.
Form a strong auto-passengers' unionThere is no authority or force to control auto-men who refuse to ply according to meters. Why are meter-readers installed in all autorickshaws? They are installed to ensure that passengers are not cheated. Installing of meter-reader was a brainy move on the part of whoever invented it. Meter system was the best thing to happen for auto-passengers.
But auto-men in Navi Mumbai seem to have taken law into their own hands. Many of them don't charge passengers as per meter. They make the passengers pay whatever amount they demand. They are not afraid of Law. That's because they have strong unions which protect and support them. This gives rise to the question as to whether these unions are meant to encourage their members to do whatever they like even criminal things?
RTO officials have launched a crackdown on errant auto-drivers many times. But these actions have failed to bring under control these auto-drivers whose unions are so strong that even political parties have to bow down before them.
In Navi Mumbai many auto-drivers don't care to refer to the meters. They demand any amount they want. Despite several meetings and representations with the authorities no effective steps have been taken to force the driver to use meters. As a result the commuters are forced to travel paying higher fares. Some drivers don't even care to install meters meters in their autos. They settle the fare according to their will. If the passengers question them they use their organizational strength to intimidate passengers. Neither RTO nor policemen seem to have the courage to prevent them from being so high-handed.
What is the solution to this problem relating to these auto-drivers? There is only one solution. It is high-time all the auto-passengers united and formed a union which is much stronger than all the autorickshaw drivers' unions put together. This is the only way to teach these autocratic auto-men a lesson.
Two sides of our world
On one side, the world is a rather nice place to live in - and only becoming better. Despite current economic woes, the world has never been a sunnier place. Rewind 100 years; newspapers were few and far between, accessed largely by privileged men, TV and the internet nowhere in sight, electricity and running water matters of marvel, travel from India to Britain taking months, populations threatened by starvation, epidemics or wars, the world beset with divisions of race, caste, gender and creed - it can't have been too nice. Today, wars have waned, colonialism is firmly contained within the pages of history books, global wealth is far more equitably shared, major diseases stand eradicated, mobiles and social networking sites enable people to communicate thoroughly, international travel takes some hours - and we're all living many years longer to enjoy these developments. Today people harbour a powerful belief in what's possible; leaving behind the dark ages of superstition, myth and discrimination, millions now enjoy a 'can-do' spirit science, rationality and philosophy have bestowed. We live in vibrantly liberal times; Scientists, states and citizens alike are countering global warming with innovation. We live in times where there is freedom and equality, creativity excelled at, the human spirit better-fed and more driven to share resources and solve problems than ever before.
But on the other side life is still nasty and brutish. Just look around you. All you find is a surfeit of urban squalor, traffic chaos, air pollution, raging conflicts over land, water, and so on. For many rural and urban people, life is still an inescapable daily grind. Dwindling farmlands and reduced yields are driving more farmers to cities, themselves bursting at the seams. Behind their glitzy veneer lie sprawling urban slums. The expanding urban poor, living in cheek-by-jowl slums, next to open drains, do not even have proper sanitation facilities. True, they may have mobile phones. But they still can't access decent healthcare. Children and adults continue to fall prey to preventable killer diseases like malaria, diarrhoea, tuberculosis.
Morality and ethics have become passe in a world ruled by profits rather than any lofty credo. We hear about protesting farmers, driven off their lands by powerful political and corporate lobbies; or sweatshop workers agitating for decent wages and work conditions. The world can't be a better place when nations are scrambling for more sophisticated weaponry to kill with greater precision. The threat of terrorism, civilian deaths in war-torn countries have made human lives more dispensable.
Thus these are the two sides of modern world.
No comments:
Post a Comment