Curious case of solar ferryboat
Goa’s first solar-electric-diesel hybrid passenger ferryboat was commissioned on October 13, 2022 on the Chorao-Panaji route with great gusto. It was not made operational because there was no landing ramp at Chorao side! In January 2023, a floating platform was specially built and services were to commence from January 9. Since then the ferryboat constructed at about `4 crore has been collecting heat and dust and commuters left in the lurch as supposedly no one is available to run the ferryboat! The government is now mulling leasing the ferryboat to a private party. Too many bad planning: firstly a ramp was not built while the ferryboat had been getting ready; secondly late realisation that there was no specialised person to operate it, and thirdly the move to hand over the expensive ferryboat built from public money to a private operator who will (hopefully) pay the government the lease amount over several months or perhaps even years. The best option would be to advertise for an operator; there is no dearth of capable merchant navy captains in Goa who can be interviewed, selected and appointed on regular basis.
Sridhar D. Iyer, Caranzalem
The Chhetri phenomenon
According to Indian football team’s head coach Igor Stimac, talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri may be playing the last season of his illustrious career. Stimac is hoping that the star player would be saving his best for the last in the coming months (NT, March 16, 2023). In 2022, the national football captain Chhetri was named the AIFF ‘Men’s Footballer of the Year’ for a record seventh time. He was first named for the award in 2007. He then went on to win it in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018-19 seasons. Is Chhetri the greatest footballer the country has ever produced? Well his achievements on the football field speak for itself. Chhetri is the most capped player for India along with the highest goal total for the country. He won the Arjuna Award for football in 2011, the Padma Shree in 2019, India’s civilian award. He also won Khel Ratna Award for football in 2021, country’s highest sporting honour, becoming the first footballer to receive the award. These are the major awards among the numerous laurels he won during his illustrious career. Chhetri is the third-highest international goal scorer among active players, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and the joint fifth-highest of all time. Chhetri helped India win the 2007, 2009, and 2012 Nehru Cup, as well as the 2011, 2015, and 2021 SAFF Championship. He has also helped India win the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup. In the past, India produced great footballers like I.M. Vijayan, Baichung Bhutia, P.K. Banerjee, Climax Lawrence, Bruno Coutinho, Peter Thangaraj to name a few. Chhetri is the only Indian footballer who has played in three different continents – North America, Asia and Europe. He played a key role in Bengaluru FC making it to the Indian Super League final to be played at the Fatorda stadium against ATK Mohun Bagan on Saturday. As and when Chhetri decides to hang his football boots, it will be the end of a golden era in Indian football.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Honour India’s diversity
Even if it is regarded that ‘Hindu Rashtra’ is a ‘cultural concept’, still question needs to be asked who has defined the cultural history of India. Or what constitutes the culture of India. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) holds every democratic right to act as ‘proud Hindus’, but simply possesses no right to impose its exclusionary belief upon others, right of all of whom being absolutely equal in this multi-cultural polity. The RSS can’t make mockery of the Constitution of India, as also secularism and heterogeneous identity of the country. It is high time the organisation stopped treating itself as the ‘guardian’ or final ‘authority’ of diverse India and refrain itself from uttering such distorted idea about this nation of all.
Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkata
The way forward
The state government’s initiative to introduce an AI-based traffic management system has been appreciated by citizens and road safety experts. The AI-enabled system will help monitor traffic violations and predict potential accidents; it will enable authorities to take corrective actions promptly. However, getting an AI-based traffic management system is a complex task that requires significant effort and investment from the government. However, benefits of such a system are immense. Countries like the U.A.E., the U.S., the U.K., China, and Singapore have already introduced such systems, and the results have been impressive. The system has brought down the number of accidents and traffic violations, making roads safer for everyone. The state government will have to maintain the system and gradually expand it to other parts of Goa to ensure that every road is covered. The government will also have to work on enforcing traffic rules and regulations to ensure that the system is successful.
Rizwan Shaikh, Mapusa