[email protected] With the soaring of temperatures and the scorching heat, the people of Assam are not only experiencing unprecedented Autumn for the last couple of days, but also they are looking for ways to cool themselves. Those who can manage to beat the heat either sitting in an air conditioned room or devouring a scoop of ice-cream.
Others live through it harrowingly and at times end up with severe dehydration. No matter wherever are we. The question is how serious are we in changing our plight? The most timely editorial 'Roof cooling solutions to beat the heat' published in your esteemed daily on September has rightly said that time has come to consider both long-term and short-term strategies to cope with the drastic changes in weather patterns.
Instead of depending too much on air conditioners, one should drive focus on the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) which provides building design cost at a minimum for space cooling. One can make suitable modifications of concrete buildings which according to NIDM, contribute to significant 70 percent of the heat when temperature rises. Therefore, roof cooling solutions which include roof made of bamboo, thatch or palm leaves or spraying water on the roof can immensely help to bring down the roof temperature.
The Assam-type houses which RCC buildings have replaced in the state due to increase in demand for accommodation is a more viable option today. The editorial is absolutely correct to say that the 'PM's Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana' has played dual roles of insulating roofs during increasing heat and generating eco-friendly and low-cost electricity. Needless to say that families are severely impacted due to adverse climatic conditions.
Families living in urban areas should participate in community-driven initiatives such as the creation of sustainable urban gardens and local waste management programmes. Nature-based climate change mitigation solutions not only help fostering a culture of sustainability but also resilience that is vital for the nation's overall climate strategy. Along with government, people must understand the importance of planting of trees in every residential campus, apartment block and market places which needs to be made compulsory as it is the most crucial long-term sustainable solution to increase the green cover around us.
Together we can reduce the heat generated from different channels in our city and transform the problem of climate change into an opportunity for progress, creativity and global collaboration in the face of adversity. Guwahati. National Daughters' Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in September, and the day reminds us of the beautiful treasure in our house called 'daughter' who brings in so much warmth into our lives.
Daughters are a wonderful blessing to the family and are often deemed as 'Lakshmi', the Hindu goddess of wealth. Therefore, this special day is meant to erase the bad memories and stigmas that are attached to having a girl child instead of a boy child. Although we don’t really need a reason to celebrate our children, it’s nice to be given the opportunity to pay our daughters some extra attention and show them how much they are loved.
([email protected]) The International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) has placed the one-horned rhino under "vulnerable" in its red list (ICUN Red list). Nearly seventy percent of India's rhinos are housed in Assam's Kaziranga National Park.
In India, the whole Northeast and northern part of West Bengal are on high alert because of their international borders. The threat to rhinos is alarming because India is home to approximately 80 percent of the world's rhino population. Rhinoceros poaching is quite common in India.
Assam borders Bhutan, so the rhinoceros of Manas National Park are particularly in danger. Barring a brief period, the rhinoceros population in Manas has always been steady. Preserving the rhino habitat and taking protective measures conducive for the rhino population to flourish have paid dividends.
As per the latest numbers, there are 54 rhinos in the Manas Park, which is now a UNESCO world heritage site. The efforts put in by the experts can be gauged by the fact that rhinos are intensely territorial animals who resist shifting their base. The "Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV2020)" program met with a considerable success; it almost achieved its aim of attaining 3,000 greater one-horned rhinos in seven protected areas of Assam by 2020, though it fell short of achieving its aim in three of the seven areas.
The programme owes its success to a collaborative effort from all stakeholders. They need to be protected from human activities, climate change, and floods—major causes of their habitat destruction. (gbhat13@gmail.
com) The tragic death of a 26-year-old employee of a multinational consulting firm, the letter by her mother claiming overwhelming workload as the cause of her death, and the rage and ripples it has caused in the working sector have resulted in the central ministry of labour itself taking steps to probe into matters related to workload issues. A thorough investigation into the work culture of many MNCs, IT sectors, and private companies can definitely expose the darker side of excessive workload faced by the employees, who for many reasons stay dumb. In almost all the sectors—be it IT, business firms, banking, and even private educational institutions—employees unfortunately will have only woes to pour out.
Fear of losing their job, blackmailing, and other threats from management make employees hesitate to reveal their grievances. Heavy workload and diktats undoubtedly damage the employees physically, emotionally, and mentally. This results in workplace aversion and attrition.
What most of the companies and institutions forget is that ignoring human values, rights, and well-being of the employees only ends up in the downfall and ruination. Most often we hear companies speak of values, human rights, compassion, and consideration but do nothing practical. The tragedy sheds light on a work culture that seems to glorify overwork while neglecting the very human beings who dedicate themselves for the progress of the company.
The Union Labour Ministry has announced an investigation, and it has to urgently make a thorough study on work-related stress, employee welfare, workplace conditions, and time schedules. It has to take necessary measures to revamp workplace conditions and create a congenial working environment..
