Who will pay fines for street dogs?
I welcome the move of the GMC to impose fines upon dog owners of up to Rs 2,000 for poop being released by the side of roads. Here, the moot point is who will pay fines for street dogs? Street dogs poop wherever they feel like it. GMC cannot cull street dogs. There is a humane angle to it. Street dogs have to be rehabilitated with food and shelter. This should be the first priority of GMC to get rid of dog poop in and around Guwahati. For sure, only targeting the dog owners cannot make Guwahati city clean and tidy.
However, GMC needs to take a call on the following on an urgent basis to make Guwahati safe and clean city. First, roads need to be made free from dust, muck and garbage. Second, the Bahani river/drain has to be excavated thoroughly from one end to the other, maintaining proper gradient in place for normal flow. Now, the Bahani river or drain appears to be a stagnant pool of water. Just removing garbage here and there from its surface from time to time would not solve the real problem of the city dwellers during monsoon or rainy days. Third, in many parts of the city the footpaths are in unsafe (uneven and broken) condition. The top surfaces of foot paths should be smooth and even. But things are other way round in most of the places. This is the result of bad workmanship and lack of supervision during construction. Those apart, footpaths are being occupied by various vendors, making lives of pedestrians quite unsafe as well. Fourth, dustbins for different products such as metallic, non-metallic and bio-degradable are to be placed along sides of the roads at a regular interval. The above constitute only the tip of the iceberg. GMC authority must keep in mind one thing, which is that every sensible person would think twice to litter a clean and tidy place.
Prafulla Dowarah,
Guwahati.
Charismatic Zelensky
As Russia keeps pounding Ukraine, palpably the world has entered a more dangerous phase. The mayhem unleashed in Ukraine has transformed the landscape of European security, which is sure to have its repercussions far and wide. What started as a smart game of diplomatic subterfuge by Vladimir Putin has now turned into an urban siege. Regardless of the Russian leader achieving his desire or not on the battlefield, it will result in him losing his image significantly at the global level, and his success is likely to yield very little strategic gain for Russia. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has won the hearts of the people the world over for his perseverance and tenacity amidst the raging war. Not only has he emerged as a charismatic leader at a time of national crisis, but he has also galvanized a large part of the world in his support. With his speeches and social media posts challenging Russia, Zelensky has ignited a renewed sense of nationalism amongst Ukrainians that will make Russia find it difficult to forcefully occupy or place a pliant government in Kyiv.
Ranganathan Sivakumar,
Chennai – 600 091.
New medical discovery
Gone are the days when it took several long years for scientists to identify and diagnose rare genetic diseases. Kudos to the team of researchers from Sydney and collaborators from Australia, the UK, and Israel for designing a novel DNA test that can diagnose over 50 genetic diseases caused by unusually long repetitive DNA sequences in a person's genes. Published in the journal 'Science Advances', this groundbreaking discovery helps diagnose the complex symptoms of unknown genetic diseases; that foregoes the limitations of existing genetic testing methods. Their studies indicate that the test is accurate, and allow the team to begin validations to make the test available in pathology laboratories around the world. This new test works by scanning a patient's genome using a new technology called 'Nanopore' sequencing. This new DNA test can identify a range of neurological and neuromuscular abnormalities that have a genetic background. Neurologists specializing in the field say that this new single DNA test offers a quick treatment that helps identify and diagnose the disease rapidly and accurately. This test also helps patients get early treatments and avoid unnecessary drugs. This new technology raises hopes among patients with rare genetic disorders that are inheritable in most cases.
Dr Krishna Kumar Vepakomma,
Hyderabad - 500045.