'Epidemic' is a word that bureaucrats dread since there is a possibility of heads rolling- however lightly! The infection that has cost the lives of more than 60 people so far is sought to be glossed over. This happened in the case of the unprecedented Supercyclone of Orissa in 1999 too. Babus were giving lectures on the difference between 'wind, 'gale', 'cyclone'and 'supercyclone'. Bureaucrats are more concerned about what the cost would be to government- and not for lives lost. They go by 'definitions' in their manuals- something handed down by the British. What has the government of Maharashtra done to stem the rot, extend treatment and take preventive measures? How much does the Health Minsister know about this particular infection- and the root causes in a state of stagnant water for such long periods? The CM should lead- and stem the rot earliest. There is no dearth of funds in Mumbai. It is leadership that is the call of the hour.
