Go green and celebrate eco-friendly Diwali: Letters to the Editor

Go green and celebrate eco-friendly Diwali

Diwali is a religious Hindu festival, celebrated as festival of lights by lighting lamps everywhere at homes, streets, shops, temples, markets, etc. It also symbolizes the triumph of good over evil to the society, light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. There is hustle, bustle and joy all around. Everything about this festival is joyous except one and that is the burning of firecrackers. Burning of crackers that form a part of the Diwali celebration is causing an alarming amount of noise pollution, soil pollution and obviously air pollution. This is impacting our environment adversely and creating enormous amount of difficulty for the entire living beings.

While the government has been taking steps to reduce pollution during Diwali, we as citizens need to commit ourselves to ensure proper implementation during the festival. Let us all embrace to celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali.

Pinaki Nandy,

Guwahati.

Welcome move by Delhi government

The Kejriwal-led Delhi Government has stressed much in the education sector. He allocated a considerable amount for augmenting the education in schools and colleges. He even sent teachers to London for training. Due to this move, the examination results of schools in Delhi are excellent.

Now students prefer to study in government schools instead of private schools.

This venture is achieved by efforts of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister-cum-Education Minister Manish Sisodia. I would like to request the Assam Chief Minister and the Education Minister to take up similar steps in the larger interest of students.

Putul Sarma,

Biswanath Chariali.

Onion price

Price volatility in onion is a case study on how agri-markets should not be managed. Year after year, the prices of the bulb, of which India is the second largest producer after China, hit a peak between August and October after hitting rock bottom in April. This is easily explained; the rabi crop, which accounts for 70 per cent of onion output of 22 million tonnes, runs out by August or September, whereas the kharif crop arrives between October and December, leaving a two-month vacuum. Heavy monsoon showers in key growing areas of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have frequently delayed and depleted the kharif crop, which accounts for 20 per cent of the overall output. February and March rainfall in north India can have a similar effect on the rabi crop. These trends can heighten the spike in autumn and winter months. The crop damage was extensive in Maharashtra last year, a State that accounts for a third of India's onion output. This year, the damage was acute in flood-hit north Karnataka, which accounts for 17 per cent of onion output. The responses of policy makers are predictable and wrong. The Centre typically slaps an export ban or minimum export price way above world market levels and contracts imports, turning a situation of scarcity into a glut in double-quick time. An export ban was declared early September and withdrawn a month later. A storage cost of Rs.1.5 per kg for five months would lead to a retail price of about Rs. 30 per kg during the festive season, which is one-third of the current price. Efficient storages can minimize losses, which can go up to 25 per cent. The Rs.1 lakh crore agri-infrastructure fund should be deployed. Windfall gains by intermediaries, riding the boom and downturn of the cycle between April and December, can be curbed this way, as against deploying high handed provisions under the Essential Commodities Act. Farmers should be rewarded for their output by encouraging exports rather than penalizing them. India's demand, about 15 million tonnes, is less than its output. It exports only about 2.5 million tonnes of the bulb. The old fashioned emphasis on stocking controls and checks on movements are not of a piece with the current accent on pro-market reforms, that are meant to benefit both farmer and consumer.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Sorbhog.

Protection of Majuli

Majuli, the biggest river island in the world is in danger of its very existence.

Due to the erosion by the mighty Brahmaputra each year, Majuli is losing its land area. Xatardhikar of Auniati Xatra Dr. Pitamamber Dev Goswami has sought Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's help to save Majuli from erosion.

The Xatradhikar has stated that many schemes have been taken up for the preventing erosion in the island by the government, however the work does not start in the dry season. It has been observed that the work starts in March-April leaving less time for the work to be completed and as a result the work cannot be completed leading to wastage of government fund. The government of Assam along with Brahmaputra Board should see to it that the work of protection gets started as soon as the flood water starts receding (last spate of flood) that is sometime in October.

It is the responsibility of the government to see that the life and culture of the famous seat of Vaishnavism for which the State is proud of and attract national and international tourists to the island is saved from erosion.

Bikash Barpujari,

Guwahati.

Jai Hind

On a fine morning, while surfing a social media, I was extremely thrilled to hear a 3-year-old Mizo girl singing patriotic songs like Maa tujhe salaam, Vande Mataram flawlessly. Now after hearing the kid, I as a proud Indian have started believing that we are in safe hands who really love our motherland by the core of the heart unlike politicians who place their party before the nation. May God bless her. Jai Hind!

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Ambari, Guwahati.

Smoke-free Diwali

In this festive season, a number of States such as Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi, Odisha, Sikkim and West Bengal have banned bursting firecrackers due to air pollution and corona pandemic. In this regard, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan says that the government has taken the decision to ban the sale and bursting of firecrackers to protect the health of COVID-19 patients as well as to protect the public from the poisonous smoke emanating from the firecrackers. Like above mentioned States, our State government may also take a decision to impose ban on bursting firecrackers in the interest of public health and for pollution free atmosphere.

Rupak G. Duarah,

Guwahati.

The civil war within

Our country has a federal type of system which empowers the respective governments at the Centre and State to frame rules and regulations. The Central government has its own jurisdiction and likewise the State government too has its own jurisdiction. The Central list on which the Central government acts is binding for all the States and union territories. It has been observed in recent times that a few State governments (West Bengal and Kerela in particular) have directly refused to implement the laws, rules and regulations framed by the Central government in their respective States. Is it not a direct violation of the Constitution? In other words, it can be dubbed as civil war within the country.

Lanu Dutta Chowdhury,

Guwahati.