Indians as a Race is irresponsible. Blaming the government, which is a very small percentage of the total population is very easy. When we can throw out the British without resorting to violence, then the people of India can also make this country the most developed country. It is our attitude that needs to be changed.Just as an employer has to get work and productivity out of his employees, we too have to do the same with the Government.We need to become more responsible and considerate towards nature which includes everything.
We need to stop paying the bribes and be ready to fight injustice and also be ready to pay penalties if we are wrong. We keep saying that politicians, police etc take bribes and dont work. But a majority of us get our work done by the same way and at that point we think we r justified.
A simple example would be the rule to use seatbelts in cars. This rule is prevalent in all developed countries. Even here this rule is for our safety only. But still people try to avoid putting on the belts or wait for an opportunity like late nights when they can avoid wearing safety belts.
I have noticed a lot of 'Foreign Mumbaiites'feeling sorry and very much concerned and writing about tragedies of the recent floods while they are sitting quite happily in their rich homes abroad. Quite hypocritical I would say! Would they actually come down to ground zero and do something instead of standing outside and screeching??
I agree with the sentiments of those who have blamed us,(the citizens ) for the plight we are faced with; we have lost all civic sense...we throw our waste on public propety, do not obey any traffic rules, bribe the police and the politicians, and care only for our immediate needs when the goung is good. Come rain and floods...we have our favorite target ..the government. In a democracy are we not the creators of the government ??? should we not consider whether we can do somethings differently ??
I have been in Mumbai for last 14 yrs.and moved on transfer to Andhra Pradesh last year only. I have all the sweet memories of this vibrant city specially the festivals and fun loving people .The city is very much colourful. Three months of the rainy season are very important to all the Mumbaites since it very much required to meet the year round water requirement of the city through its huge lakes. The very first day when I landed in this city on 8th of June 1991, I have the similar experience of the rains that welcomed us in this city but this time it has crossed all the limits and I feel very sorry for the city and the people in particular. Many of my friends and relative faced the nightmare. One thing is very clear that Mumbai has never expected this type TANDAV of rain god, but same time the city is unequipped to face such disastrous situation. My request to the never say die brave Mumbaites is that, instead of finding faults of the Govt. let all come to rescue of the City of hearts and try to cooperate with the system to make it a better place to live and prepare Mumbai to face any type of natures furry. ---Pratap
Lack of involvement of people in Mumbai has made it the mess that it is in today.People come to mumbai,earn their livelihood,most stay back and a few go away.As Indians we are loath paying for anything. Likewise we mumbaikars also avoid paying parking charges, octroi, municipal taxes etc.Also public accountability. We do not know how the tax-payers money is being spent by state govt and the rich municipal corporation. We are just not bothered like many other things we live with.(We pay the highest price for petrol in spite of having refineries)No opposition. Two years back when international crude prices dropped and petrol prices were reduced by central govt, our state gove increased sales tax by One rupee on petrol.No protests again.The road tax we pay disppears into bottomless pits and we do not have proper roads or footpaths.No PIL or protest.MMRDA caries out massive projects in order to give us a better future(???), but no provision of temporary detours. Again we bear it silently.Who protests? Slum dwellers and their vote seeking politicians.Obviously they are heard.We don't even go to vote, what can we talk about a govt for mumbai or protesting to get things done our way.
Calamity happened last week it not natural. Its a manmade.
Certain measures to avoid calamities in future:
1) Demolish extra construction which puts strain on sanitary facilities. 2) Simple & good is to close all the open gutters in suburbs. People here have a tendency to throw the garbage in open gutters. Widen the way of gutters. Put big pipes for drainage. Gutters in Mumbai upto Sion & Mahim are closed so Mumbai City area always looks beautiful than suburbs. Garbage piles are always very sligher in city than suburbs. Construct pavements to walk. 3) Remove all the slums & restore only those slum dwellers whose 2-3 generations are surviving here till now. 4) Keep check on increasing population constantly. There is limit on rush & it should be controlled. 5) Develop like Mumbai other places of the country also so that large part of population will not flow only in Mumbai.
For any news we log in to rediff.com, but on that 26/7 tuesday, when we got the news that it is raining very heavily out inMumbai at 3.30 pm and we were asked to leave, we first tried to look into rediff for the latest news, but you did not post any thing abt rail, bus traffic coming to standstill /going at slow speed which happened at 3pm.
You could have taken the lead in directing hundreds of mumbaikars, even all the cell phone comapnies could have sent urgent SMS to thier subscribers (othervise they are expert in sending unwanted sms abt selling their services).
HOPE YOU ALL INFO _MEDIA PEOPLE WILL HELP MUMBAIKARS in FUTURE.
First, blame the term Mumbaikar. This word is used by each and everyone with such pride that they think they are living in Singapore. Especially the youth. What do these youths do other than partying and dancing? An immature breed who knows nothing about the city claiming Mumbai as the city that never sleeps or the happening city (well, now it is one). What's happening? Having a few dance bars, a few discos and pubs, and girls who are ready to dare (This is not daring, this is what is called immaturity), makes a city happening? Why don't they realize about other aspects of the city? Only when such so called Mumbaikars realize being "happening" is much more than what is happening here, the city can develop. Such people need to realize that their pride is false (You can't say it's not false now. It has been effectively proved now) Okay, if you think I am rude and incorrect, please note that its not any of these 'Mumbaikars' who were there in rescue operations.
