Letters to the editor dated August 19, 2020

Apropos ‘Madras HC refuses to allow Sterilite to reopen its copper plant in TN’ (August 19). There is no doubt that the judiciary has taken cognisance of environmental issues for its verdict. The larger question is about the precedent it has set, which should be applied in various other similar cases in the country related to projects that are grossly detrimental to environment and ecology. A few examples of this are the Hubli-Ankola rail line and the Yettinahole project. This kind of judicial overreach on a selective basis, under the garb of environmental protection, may have serious repercussions.

Hassan, Karnataka

This refers to the editorial ‘Caring and sharing’ (August 19). At first glance, a national health ID is a flight of fancy, especially in a diverse country like India. First, only a handful of corporate hospitals may be equipped to upload the documents, reports, etc. Second, the healthcare business is no longer ethical in working and its prime objective is profiteering. The role of private hospitals during Covid times is testimony to it. The talk of a national ID makes sense when healthcare is affordable, accessible and available to the majority of the population. How can data be generated if a patient is not diagnosed on the above accounts? It is like putting a cart before the horse. Covid has exposed the chinks in the armour of our healthcare, which need to be addressed first. There are other pressing issues, too, which warrant attention

Chennai

This refers to ‘Asian nations beat India in Covid control” (August 19). India, despite moving quickly to impose a lockdown earlier this summer, is seeing a steep rise in the number of cases. As we test more, we are likely to see the number of reported infections go up. We should welcome this development irrespective of the case count in other countries, which may not be comparable to India on population density and other parameters. There were lapses, but we could not have prepared for such an outbreak on this scale. We learn as we go forward and improve our readiness for a similar catastrophe in the future. We cannot squarely blame the government as we the people have also been lax with following norms meant to safeguard us.

Bengaluru

Apropos ‘Land pooling can ease doing of business’ (August 19). Tata’s bid to install the Nano manufacturing project at Singur, West Bengal, was a total fiasco because of glaring issues in land acquisition. The Singur project was dropped because landowners opposed the move and there was political pressure to return the land. In order to overcome such bottleknecks, land banks comprising unused land were formed by the government. But there is a supply constraint in this model and the ideal way is to pool the land, that is, give the landowners equity in the proposed project in exchange for their land. This not only incentivises landowners but also give them the privilege of ownership. Hence, the new models of land acquisition must be geared for augmenting the ease of doing business in India.

Sivakasi

This is with reference to ‘Migrant labour back in Pune as work resumes in auto hub’ (August 19). The migrant labourers’ issues have been systematically ignored by successive governments. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought them to the fore. As such, this is the right time for both the State and Central governments to address these problems and offer solutions .

Migrant workers left their home-States looking for greener pastures and opportunities for livelihood. However, when the pandemic broke out they returned home. Now, it is the duty of their home-States to find them employment. This requires development which will boost employment opportunities. At the same time, the States from where these migratory workers have left will find it difficult to complete their projects without them. It goes without saying that these States will turn to skilling locals to meet the labour shortage. Thus, this pandemic will be like a blessing in disguise for job creation/skill development.

Thane

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