MyVoice: Views of our readers 27th March 2025

Water situation across India grim

Apropos, “Water conservation is pressing need for sustainable future,” (THI, Mar 26). When it comes to the availability and accessibility of water, the fate of Indians seems unchanged. Indians have been forced to live either without water (water scarcity and inaccessibility) or surrounded by it (floods). Despite significant investment in schemes and projects, the water situation of rural and urban India has not improved. Indian mega cities and villages continue to face water issues, forcing people to live under water stress. To address the adverse water conditions and to minimise the water suffering of people, the government has to realise that monitoring and impact analysis of a water project or water plan is critical for its success.

N Sadhasiva Reddy, Bengaluru

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Some of the steps mentioned like interlinking of rivers may appear to be attractive on paper, but let us remember that rivers are formed by millions of years evolutionary process and could change the entire ecosystem. The financial costs, too, would be very high. Instead of huge dams which give immense opportunities for corruption, we need to concentrate more on smaller check dams to store water. Water harvesting has been made mandatory in the new constructions in some cities, and this could be emulated elsewhere, too. India has a long coastline and using desalination plants to make water potable for those living close to coastline is probably the best option. Designing toilets which use waste water, using technology which uses less water for washing and recycling of sewage must be explored. Otherwise, survival in the future would be a tricky affair.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

SC rightly stays HC’s insensitive order

The Supreme Court rightly on Wednesday March 26 stayed the observations made in an order of the Allahabad High Court which said mere grabbing of the breast and pulling the string of a pajama do not amount to ‘intent to rape. A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih said it was pained to say that some of the observations made in the high court order depicted ‘total insensitiveness and an inhuman approach.’ The bench issued notice to the Centre, Uttar Pradesh government and others seeking their responses in the suo motu proceedings initiated over the HC’s 17 March order. The apex court has taken cognizance on its own of the controversial order.

Bhagwan Thadani, Mumbai

Judiciary role comes under cloud

Testing times for the judiciary have long back started on a day on which a judgement of a lower court stands revised following an appeal by a convicted in a legal case. Public confidence in the sanctity of the institution of judiciary had gone for a toss then and there. Past presents a legion of such instances. No surprise the working of the judiciary manifests in so many other ways, one such being the loads of currency wads found in the house of a judge of the Apex Court. Hence in this age, it is amusing still to cry hoarse about the sanctity of the judiciary.

Seshagiri Row Karry, Hyderabad