Please, let the earth breathe

ARADHIKA SEKHON'S article "Please, let the earth breathe" (August 21) is a warning about the future of the environment which calls for an urgent need to make environment a strong public movement.

It has been rightly observed by environmentalists that as ecology, economics and economy have a common root, they may also have common principles. In the dynamics of eco-system, human cleverness is unlikely to outwit nature. So a beginning can be made by going back to the Vedic man who said: "Whatever I dig from thee, Earth, may have quick growth again. O’ purifier, may we not injure thy vitals or thy heart". With this resolution, we can think of the earth as a habitat, not only of today but also of a distant tomorrow.

It is good to talk of global environmental democracy even if the concept seems to be utopian. Industrialised nations have used up the world’s ecological capital to an alarming extent, leading to the impoverishment of nature and environmental decay. We cannot stop technological progress, but we have to be careful with regard to its use. We have to be very decisive in the planning and the use of the technologies that are not sustainable.

Those who disturb the delicate ecological balance must be restrained in their own interest and in that of the community, for ecological doom is not far away. Here John Ruskin’s remarks are pertinent: "God has lent us this earth for our life. It belongs as much to those who have to come after us as to us; and we have no right by anything we do to deprive them of benefits which it was in our power to bequeathe".

K. M. VASHISHT
Mansa

II

It is pity that the problems of environment, fast depleting natural resources and growing population have not received our adequate attention. While our awareness and understanding of these problems have increased yet we have done precious little to solve them. It is a pity that it has become fashionable to talk about environmental problems but very little is actually being done to tackle them. I agree with the view that the realistic goal should be not to eliminate pollution but to reduce it to acceptable levels. It is high time the Ministry of Environment took its role seriously.

ONKAR CHOPRA
Ludhiana

III

It is tragic to note that the pollution is one of the biggest problems India is facing today. Ozone depletion, green house effect, global warming and epidemics are the results of pollution. There is a spurt in pollution-related diseases in developing countries.

Chemical industries dispose harmful waste material in rivers like Ganga and Yamuna. At one time these rivers were famous for their sanctity and purity but now their waters are too impure to drink. The government should take immediate steps against those who break pollution laws. Let all of us take care of the environment.

H. S. DIMPLE
Jagraon

Introduce zero tolerance scheme

Apropos of H. Kishie Singh’s article "Drive in your lane" (August 21), Chandigarh has probably the highest rate of literacy. It appears either the citizens do not read such articles, or they do not understand what lane driving is. If they understand, they ignore it. Every one seems to be in a tearing hurry in Chandigarh. Most of them take pleasure in violating the rules at the cost of their own safety and that of others.

The Traffic Police regularly makes announcements at the intersections advising drivers not to cross the stop line at the red light. But it seems to be of no avail. Even if I stop my car at the stop line (which I invariably do), I find that other cars and a couple of scooters/motor cycles swerve and zoom to get in front of my car ignoring the stop line and the warnings. It may make a difference of a minute or two but it shows the scant regard people have for rules.

S. P. MITTAL
Chandigarh

Results matter

The advice of the writer Ravi Dhaliwal, embodied in his write-up "Be sporting about sport" (August 21) that "let winning and losing take a back seat, for it is good sport that fills the belly and not the results" may well be applicable to ordinary persons. For those who enter the sports arena as professionals, the pleasure of playing well is not as significant as the result. In competitive sports, the urge to win is a basic instinct. The ideal propagated by Baron de Coubertin that winning is the ethic has to be consistently and consciously developed. On most occasions when Indian sports persons got their big chance, they failed simply because they were not winners.

SURINDER KUMAR MARWAHA
New Delhi