Tunnel rescue

Apropos ‘Silkyara learnings’ (November 30), the entire nation heaved a sigh of relief when 41 workers were safely pulled out of Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel in a demanding rescue operation that lasted 17 days. The credit goes to the members of the Central and State teams who worked day and night, putting their own lives in danger, in order to save the trapped men. However, the incident has brought under scrutiny various projects in progress under the Char Dham programme.

A review of the precautionary measures, especially in ecologically sensitive zones, is a must to prevent such mishaps. Safer working conditions are also necessary for the personnel carrying out road-widening and related work. Lessons should be learnt from the Silkyara nightmare and there must be no delay in initiating remedial action.

N Sadhasiva Reddy

Bengaluru

Focus on safety

Indians are indeed proud of the outstanding work done during the rescue operation by governments at all levels and other agencies. That we are capable of such excellent work unfortunately needed a tragedy to reveal. The editorial has pointed out there is need for detailed work to identify the reasons for the collapse. This will build and strengthen in us greater ‘safety’ consciousness.

V Vijaykumar

Pune

Children’s personal data

Apropos the article ‘A layered approach to a child’s data privacy is welcome’ (November 30), while a progressive approach based on “evolving capabilities and varying maturity levels” over the paternalistic model in the governance of children’s privacy data has certain merits and takes care of child’s autonomy, it is to be recognised that capabilities and maturity levels vary vastly from individual to individual.

A vast majority of children, especially those coming from less fortunate backgrounds, may not possess the required maturity level necessary to take certain decisions.

Hence, the consent of parents or a legal guardian in respect of processing children’s personal data by data fiduciaries may be a safer option.

Kosaraju Chandramouli

Hyderabad

Rural job schemes

This refers to ‘Rural economy sluggishness could impact growth’ (November 30).

Rural employment schemes, one feels, should not be at the expense of agricultural jobs and growth. MGNREGS, for instance, has affected the availability of labour in the farm sector resulting in a decline in output, income, consumption, etc. There must be optimum use of labour, be it any sector, and giving jobs for the sake of giving, is not real growth.

S Ramakrishnasayee

Chennai

Digital fraud

The staggering pace with which people in India embrace the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has not only transformed the payment landscape of the country but also brought in a sharp rise in digital and financial fraud. State authorities cannot be oblivious to the imperative need for ushering in concerted measures to curb online frauds that have now become technologically innovative. A multi-pronged strategy aimed at improving and upgrading IT infrastructure and their protocols to plug the gaps and reduce vulnerabilities holds the key to tackling frauds more effectively on the ground.

M Jeyaram

Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu

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