News of houses collapsing during rains, roads ridden with potholes, trees uprooting and highways turning into nullahs due to lack of gutter systems are far too common during the monsoon season. Almost all the newspapers will carry similar coverage during the rains. Only differences are names of affected villages. Content remains the same while context may be subject to the change. The elected representatives right from village to State level have learned the art of camouflaging, by blaming it all on the rains. The insensitivity displayed towards potholes on the roads, incidents of trees uprooting, flooding, houses collapsing is alarming because these incidents are treated as a norm. Not only this shows the lost sensitivity at the government and administrative level, but also tears apart Goa’s image as a welfare-oriented State.
Some families lost contact with the rest of the taluka for days after the bridge at Kadshi-Mopa in Pernem submerged due to flooding while a system called Disaster Management had no knowledge of it. Non preparation during pre-monsoon works and information about which places would required the help, stands exposed. Potholes and craters appearing on the roads during monsoons is treated like a habit. The society has accepted pothole-ridden roads to an extent as if the real reason for subpar quality work on these roads is forgotten.
There are countries which receive rains for 300 days a year. These countries also have tar roads. Should we not wonder why the roads in these countries do not have potholes? The rains are an integral part of our lives –whether there is a drought or torrential rains. Be it an urban or rural area, everyone’s situation is the same. The news of villages submerging under landslides in neighbouring Maharashtra only add to the fear regarding monsoon. Although it rains every year with column after column being filled with the news related to the losses, we do not seem to be learning anything from it. Crores of rupees are spent on cleaning the nullahs and gutters as part of pre-monsoon works but water still flows over the road just after the first few showers as gutters clog. This reflects what happens when the sensitivity is lost.
There is no need to tell differently what is done to the city of Panjim in the name of Smart City. The city’s age-old drainage system has been destroyed for the so-called transformation of the city. The panchanama of it all has been done in the Goa Assembly. Situation of other cities is more or less the same. It is not that the citizens are not aware of the reasons behind this chaos. It is not that they do not know why potholes appear on the roads. It is simply because they have lost their sensitivity too, which is why they are not coming out on the road to question the government or the administration. Citizens are acting in a way that their responsibility ends after voting once in five years. People seem to be content once their personal grievances are taken care of and such a narrow minded approach is spreading like a disease. A collective sense of empathy is lost at both, government and societal level. Presently the news of houses collapsing appears almost everyday and there must be many reasons behind it. The causality after the incident has happened is easy and nobody can compete in this regard with the ones who are active on social media.
Everyone is an expert to analyse the past incidents but keeps mum when it is time to take precautions to avoid it from happening. Why is that so? When will we truly answer this question? Houses are collapsing all around the State. Trees are falling on the buildings. This makes one wonder what did the State Disaster Management Authority do before monsoon’s arrival? They were expected to survey the places with potential casualties or prospective mishaps. The respective authority’s duties include guiding the people affected and helping them avail all the help they require. It is indeed shocking that the places struck with tragedies were not even on the Authority’s map. This is the perfect example of how to get the work done by merely sitting in the offices. An extensive and thorough survey is mandatory for disaster management which is how measurements can be taken accordingly to prevent them from happening. The ongoing incidents prove the lack of the same. It was stated that the settlements in dangerous areas would be shifted but what happened in reality? Was it really done? If done so, what action was taken? Or was it neglected as usual? The ignorance has resulted in the accidents which are now occurring everywhere. Who is responsible for that? Given the expanse of the State, does it not make any difference? Have we gone deaf to that extent? It’s simply numbing.
