Your space: Pune canal breach: Will lessons be learnt?

The canal breach due to lack of repairs is criminal negligence on part of the authorities. This “chalta hai” attitude of government staff runs deep as no official is ever arrested and jailed for such gross negligence, and rarely are they suspended or terminated from service in such cases.

Last week, Pune city witnessed a tragedy in which around 200 slums were inundated with water after the Mutha river canal wall suffered a breach. While the city has secured top rank in liveable city in India, according to the Ease of Living Index report released by Union housing and urban affairs minister, Hardeep Singh Puri on August 13, 2018, such incidences highlight the ground reality. The situation could have been far worse had the canal breached at night. Instead of taking effective steps to avoid such incidents in the future, both Pune municipal corporation and the irrigation department are busy passing buck over taking responsibility. I think they have still not learnt a lesson. Though the authorities have carried out repairs in record time, they have no answer on the loss of property by the breach.

There was a dire need to repair the Mutha right bank canal, but at the same time the illegal Janata Vasahat should have been shifted from there long back. Rather authorities should not have allowed slums to come up in first place. (HT FILE PHOTO)

-Ganesh Patil

Govt officials’ ‘chalta hai’ runs deep

The canal breach due to lack of repairs is criminal negligence on part of the authorities. This “chalta hai” attitude of government staff runs deep as no official is ever arrested and jailed for such gross negligence, and rarely are they suspended or terminated from service in such cases. When two government organisations have been shrugging off their responsibility from such an important critical matter, it demonstrates the ineffective governance of the state. The entire government machinery is immune to public outcry and complaints because there are very few who are officially complaining against them. When citizens officially complain by means of letters, grievance registration etc., they are made to run around the system to tire them out, and in some case, their written complaints and right to information (RTI) requests do not get timely response. Many citizens who officially complain are exposed to corrupt officials and their political cronies who start harassing them to take back the complaint or face consequences. This must end with the government taking accountability of self-scrutiny and punishing the negligent officials. The police commissioner and the district collector, who is also the district magistrate for the district, should take suo moto cognisance of such negligence and file an FIR against the culprits. Until negligent officials are punished under stringent IPC sections, nothing will happen, no lessons will be learned, people will continue to live at the mercy of an ineffective and inefficient government machinery.

-Ravindra Sinha

Make corporator and contractor accountable

Breaching of Mutha canal is not an isolated incidence as we see such things happening in our country every now and then. Luckily, in this incident, no life was lost otherwise we see casualties, but not much difference takes place and life moves on. Cost of human beings is very cheap in our country as it is densely populated. At least that is what these politicians think. We have observed that provision for maintenance and repairing work is minimal. Government is interested in making new projects. In fact, more focus should be given for stuck up and old infrastructure which needs immediate attention. If we cannot make new projects it is OK, but where we have already invested should be properly taken care of. This will save lots of lives and money. I feel the corporator of the area in whose jurisdiction the mishap has taken place should be made answerable first. His dues should be stopped immediately till his term and if another mishap happens then he should be removed from his post and should be barred from contesting elections for another three years. Another precaution that can be taken is by making the contractor to maintain his work for fifteen years. This way the contractor will also take proper precaution while construction and keep the infrastructure in good condition.

-Haresh Shah

Slums should not have come up

Well, till now, many disasters have taken place in our cities and country owing to civic apathy. So, it is very unlikely that the thick-skinned bureaucracy will learn something and act proactively. There was a dire need of Mutha canal repairs, but at the same time the illegal Janata Vasahat should have been shifted from there long back rather should not have been allowed to build houses over there in the first place. However, the civic authorities never pay attention to illegal residences while they come up because all the government servants totally forget that they are supposed to work for betterment of citizens and the repairs of the Mutha canal should have been done on priority basis. The irrigation department is responsible for the upkeep of canal then why the urgency was not conveyed to Pune municipal corporation (PMC) and vice versa. Even the residents of Janata Vasahat must be knowing the breakages as water must be coming out of it then why they didn’t shifted from there? It is an irony that in our country everyone waits until the disaster and then they face consequences bravely, instead of acting proactively. We need to change our mentality, especially government servants need to learn that they are there to work for the citizens and not wait until disaster happens. Mutha canal breach should be a starting point for it.

-Maya Hemant Bhatkar