Mumbai Fiasco

So if you're surprised at the mess that the proposed drainage work on Peddar Road has led to, I'm surprised. After discussing the intricacies of the operation on this major artery for a couple of months, all under wraps - it was hardly a few days before the work was due to begin that we even got to know about it! - the Municipality got cold feet. Barely one day into the project the BMC, due to "unexpected chaos on the streets" caused by the part of the road being blocked (Oh yeah? Unexpected?) decided to stop digging and to continue only in May when the schools are on vacation. Actually school vacs begin mid April so the reason for postponing the drainage work to May, as suggested by today's DNA, appears to be something which is not being spelled out - Lok Sabha elections, which are round the corner. We don't want the public to be inconvenienced.

The fact that the eyes, the ears, the hands, the different organs of this body are not on speaking terms with each other and that the decision was taken in a totally ill coordinated manner, only shows up the reality of Bombay. Errr sorry, Moombai. It shows up the fact that chaos is not only expected once the work gets going but that it is
a mild way of describing what we will have to face here in Bom .... errrr Mooombai for who knows how long.

The problem is there are more cars in Moombai than there is place for them to drive. As the over abundance of vehicles shows there are more people living in the city than the city can really provide for. Those people are here because the jobs are all here and damn all is being done to develop areas besides Bombay and major cities which will encourage people to stay and work where they are rather than to migrate to the shit-holes they eventually end up living in, in the city.

Right. And now it's soon going to be time to get your forefinger dotted with a tiny spot of purple ink very soon. Which moron are you going to pick on, to boost our national and civic pride?