Wayanad ravaged
One can do very little when mountainous ranges receive unexpected and torrential rain, especially at night. But, in the crisis in Wayanad, there was an indication of heavy precipitation as the Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagar dams began surplussing and the Cauvery kept rising. The loss of an uncertain number of lives and truncated rescue operations because of persistent rain are a bad commentary of the efficiency of the authorities. Restoration of normal life is a mind-boggling challenge.
V. Lakshmanan,
Tirupur, Tamil Nadu
The death and the destruction in Wayanad caused by massive landslides and triggered by heavy rains are unfortunate. If one looks at the very recent past, severe deluge leading to flooding caused enormous damage in almost all the districts of Kerala. In the aftermath of the flooding in 2018 and 2019, which had affected almost the entire State, the State government was focused on rehabilitating the affected communities, but very little attention was paid to disaster prevention particularly in hilly and vulnerable areas.
Natural phenomena cannot be controlled, but these events turning into human tragedies can certainly be minimised or prevented.
Dr. R. Unnikrishnan,
Cherthala, Alappuzha. Kerala
‘Bagless days’
The proposal by the NCERT for ‘10 bagless days a year’ (July 30) is a positive step to helping students. But the fact is that most schools do not take action to address the weight of school bags. Schools should be required to publish proper schedules so that students can bring only essential books and materials to school.
Simil Mathew,
Hyderabad
