Recently, I witnessed on TV, Obama (President) and Biden (Vice President)
stopping for a snack at a fast food restaurant in America. Since their security
is unobstrucive, they quietly joined the customers queue. They refused out of
turn hospitality and insisted on paying their bill. We not only have our VIPs
and V V I Ps but even Departmental Heads want privileges and people to be
subservient. Twenty years back we were getting water 24 hours a day. It is not
for nothing that the army of officials in Government Departments and the PWD
have earned the reputation as The Public Waste Departments. The planning,
developing and nurturing of our plentiful water resources were neglected. They
were always playing catch up with the rapid urbanization of the towns and
villages in infrastructure requirements. The bad habits of no transparency,
dereliction of duty with impunity and inefficiency were lucrative to water pump
manufacturers, tanker owners,
suppliers and vested interests. Instead of encouraging going green, growing
of fruits and vegetables in house gardens, people are told to stop
watering plants and minimize the miserable one or two buckets they get as and
when the low pressure supply comes in some places and 24 hours supply( believe
it or not) in some other privileged and vote bank places! The authorities will
just not believe our feedback. So we have decided in our colony as proof,each
household records in the month of April the timings and quantity of water
received.
What is required to improve matters is 1) PWD personnel inspect and record
systematically all leaking pipes, control valves and taps.2) Senior officers
get out more often from their comfortable offices and inspect the complaint
and supply books. This should have recorded date time of complaint and action
taken by whom and timely action initiated to rectify any lacunae. 3) Be
absolutely strict with water supply timings. The usual excuse of electricity
failures, shortage of water supply from source etc are not acceptable, and must
be recorded; cross checked and meticulously investigated .Right now it’s a free
hand for absolutely mismanagement of this essential commodity. All such
failures and non supply, how many tankers filled from PWD sources etc to be
strictly monitored, records signed by a responsible officer and explanation
sought in writing! 4) Peoples complaints to be taken seriously, statistics
maintained and studied for alleviating
peoples suffering.
This is a serious matter. Water is a precious commodity. I would go so far as
to say that dereliction of duty or corruption here should not only be punished,
but those found guilty of gross negligence be jailed or given capital
punishment! I have mentioned above the attitude of Obama, the most powerful man
in the world specifically to bring a change of attitude in our officials. If a
citizen dies due mismanagement of water due callous attitude of officials
resulting in non supply of water, isn’t that a heinous crime?
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