Lack of civic sense to blame

Islamabad : People in general and farmers in particular must have heaved a sigh of relief as the much awaited rainfall finally showered its blessings and made the atmosphere cleaner and less dry and gave an impetus to the flowers, fields and trees to blossom. Everything above ground looks fresh and clean – the trees appear as if they have sprouted new leaves overnight!

Alas, things don’t look so good on the ground level and one glance at the mess lying everywhere - by which I mean in the side lanes and alleyways because the main roads have been cleared of filth to some extent - brings you down to reality with a jolt! Low lying areas were inundated, not to say anything about the mud and slush which made life miserable, especially in the areas where the less privileged live and the ‘kutchi abadis’ (slums) where there are no paved roads. While the dirty water has dried up, the refuse which was thrown out from overfilled drains and open garbage sites still lies about, of which the pernicious plastic bags are the most evident and rotting fruit; vegetables and other degradable material cause the most horrible odour.

Every year, we moan and groan about the situation that arises after the rains, be it winter or summer. While rain may disrupt life for a while, the aftermath is worse because of the lack of civic responsibility that exists in the population and the fact that the drainage system is faulty, to a large extent. Most of the drains alongside roads have been left open and their – probably for easier cleaning - but their edges are broken and irresponsible persons throw their garbage in them instead of carrying it to a nearby dump. These drains spew forth their contents or remain blocked because of this careless disposal of refuse from houses located in each area.

With more rain forecast, the situation will get worse. Each and every person blames the administration for their woes and no one is willing to admit that the fault lies more with the residents of localities than with anyone else. If everyone was aware of their civic responsibility and did their share it would be great but it does not look as if that will happen any time soon. We need to mobilize ‘mohalla committees’ or something! And PEMRA should stipulate that all TV channels give public service messages for a few minutes so that awareness is created.