Mumbai needs: 1. Road repairs 2. A better weather warning system 3. Closed gutters and potholes 4. Clean roads 5. Improved sanitation. 6. No hanging wires and cables. 7. ACCOUNTABLE POLITICIANS!
Rediff should set up a forum where people can write in and discuss constructive measures to improve the situation. Maybe some small steps can be taken up by us Mumbaikars ourselves. Something's GOT TO CHANGE..we cannot go on like this, year after year! If the government needs spoon-feeding to channelize our taxes, let's give it to them!!
Mr. Deshmukh's typical response comes as no surprise. To simply say that everything humanly possible has been done is just passing off the blame squarely on to mother nature. The state administration had enough time between the previous monsoons and the current to sincerely chalk out a preliminary plan to avoid the chaos & confusion witnessed last year. They can't be so lousy and negligent in the work. Time and again mumbaikar's have to put up with the bureaucratic indifference. Instead of dreaming to convert mumbai a la shangai, plz try to provide basic amenities to the people. Media has been aptly pointing out the difference between south & the rest of mumbai's condition. Planning done ages ago is still as efficient as ever!
In last week of June Johny Joseph's comments " We were surprised by rains starting in early June". Its really surprising that matured (not sure is it a right word)person like him to state this.
Common sense says that if you havent done enough preparations for 10 months (post 26th July 2006), you can't do it in 10 days if monsoon arrives 10 day early.
Mr.Johny Lets get more matured and responsible as using reactive measures, we can't make mumbai a economy centre.
Dear friends, civic authorities are not the only ones to blame. The inbahitants of the city also have to take responsibility for this. I am telling this from personal experience. I have lived in slums of mumbai for 20 years of my life. I have seen my neighbours dump solid garbage in the drainage system from small openings and if the civic authorities close them they will make holes and continue doing their garbage disposal. This was done even thou the dumpster was only 200 feet away. People simply dont care, as long as they are not affected by it. I dont disagree to the fact that the civic authorities can do more but there is no point in just blaming the authorities. It has to be a collective effort.
Like last year this year Mumbai people were expecting better drainage system but in the first rain on day one all the tall claims by BMC Commissioners and CM has fallen flat on their faces.It is high time that there is accountability of the person in chqarge of doing this job and public at large should be informed as to the reasons of failures whether due to money shortage or non perfomance by Government officers or by Contractors and they should be brought to books and ask for explanations irrespective of post and status. It is high time that Ministers and Commissioners take their responsibility and work seriously in the interest of large population of Mumbai.There should be a legislation in Vidhan Bhavan to this effect so that they can be prosecuted by public for non performance and incompetency.
