Time to get cracking and take Bangalore out of the woods

Time to get cracking and take Bangalore out of the woods
H.S. Balram
The Times of India

One heavy downpour and life in hitech Bangalore comes to a standstill. This, when the monsoon is yet to set in. Roads are flooded, drains start overflowing, sewage water enters houses, power goes off, trees get uprooted, traffic movement comes to a virtual halt, police look helpless, and civic agencies become incommunicado. Tax-paying citizens scream and curse but no one cares. The more unfortunate ones fall into open manholes and die, get washed away by gushing water, or get electrocuted thanks to live wires jutting out of junction boxes.

Year after year, the city’s citizens go through this nightmare. Rather, the situation is getting worse. Ask the authorities. They tell you why the problem keeps recurring — growing population, mushrooming IT and other industries, increasing vehicular population, etc.. Something which even a groundnut seller knows. Do they have any solution? Not really. But they are quick to reel out statistics about amounts earmarked for various projects. Then, why things haven’t improved? They start passing the buck, begin a blame game, and complain of shortage of manpower, lack of adequate funds, files pending in various departments, and public apathy. Is there any action plan to deal with emergencies? Yes, there are one or two. But they have remained at the discussion stage for years.

Where do we go from here? City managers have no clue how to deal with the problem. They keep running around in circles. The rate at which the traffic is growing is far greater than the pace at which infrastructure is being built. Roads are cracking under pressure. Maintenance is poor. Widening of roads is on but at a tardy pace. Flyovers are left unfinished. Ageold drains need replacement. No one knows where the money allotted for the purpose goes. Hectic building activity is on everywhere. No one cares whether the prescribed norms are being followed. Basements meant for parking have been turned into commercial complexes. Footpaths are unusable. Streets are poorly lit. Mindless digging of roads continues all through the year. There’s no coordination between various agencies.

No one owns up responsibility. No one is held accountable. No heads roll. Plenty of promises are made. They remain unfulfilled. Is it not the job of the corporators, MLAs and MPs to tour their respective constituencies every now and then, meet the people, listen to their grievances, take them up with the officials and ensure redress? Shouldn’t ministers conduct surprise inspections to keep bureaucrats and officials on their toes? Lok Ayukta Justice Venkatachala is the only one who is doing this work sincerely. But his efforts go waste as no follow-up action is taken, and the culprits are soon back at their bad old ways.

We, as citizens, too should take the blame. We lack civic consciousness. We consider the entire city, except our homes, as a big garbage bin. We dump waste in nullahs and drains, thus blocking flow of rain water. We observe no road rules. Everyone is out to overtake the other. Lane driving is not in our dictionary. Our bus and autorickshaw drivers are a law unto themselves. Public participation in the building of the city is not very high. And, some who volunteer are scoffed at and forced to beat a retreat.

A growing city like Bangalore needs to be run like a good corporate. It needs an efficient CEO. His job: Build a team of experts on various civic issues and get cracking at the problems being faced by the city. Bring all civic agencies under him, with a view to ensuring better coordination of work. Sensitise the officials. Start work on new and pending projects on a war footing. Ensure accountability. Bring in transparency. Fix deadlines, and if they are not met, punish and replace the lethargic and inefficient ones. Blacklist contractors who do shoddy work in connivance with corrupt officials. Encourage private sector participation. Interact with resident associations. Create awareness among them the general public.

The government must act fast. Bangalore must be taken out of the existing mess. Are those at the helm of affairs listening?

PARTING SHOT
Good intention

Schools in Bangalore are in focus these days, thanks to two directives. One, they must commence early, at 8.30 am, so that students do not get caught in traffic jams when officegoers swarm the roads. Two, parents must be dissuaded from dropping their wards in their cars, as they jam the roads in front of the schools. Some have welcomed them, some haven’t. Heated discussions are also on. But one thing is clear. The intention behind the directives is good. Traffic congestion in the city must be eased at any cost.