Giri at 1720 hrs on 29th May 2011
A warm welcome to all those who have taken time to look at this week’s entry in what will be the 14th edition of Sujavna. The monsoons in Mumbai are just lurking around the corner and I am eagerly looking forward to the first showers that always enthuse young and old alike in this metropolis.
PitterPatter...............PitterPatter
RimJim............................RimJim
Sounds that bring fond memories of childhood and youth that romanced the rainy season in ways that only they can!!
And yet, the same spells cause concern to many of the city’s inhabitants these days – will public transport continue to be reliable? will the roads be flooded due to the construction work that has left deep craters uncovered, exposed manholes and choked sewage lines and storm water channels?
Why should these worries continue to plague us year after year? Is this the price that we have to pay for being led to believe that our city is being transformed into a world-class one?
Which leads me to suggest: Can we not redesign our cities “lifescapes” to follow natural weather conditions? With technology to assist, can employers not encourage more “work-from-home” processes? Can educational and research institutions also use “study from home” methodologies? Can government departments have back-up offices in the hinterland, where data and communication systems are accessible to the public and second-level officials are available to manage these systems? Can we have a system of volunteering, recruitment and training for traffic police, fire services and outpatient-administration in hospitals that ensures that these services have no manpower deficit during the monsoons?
As you may have noticed, the carefree days of rim-jim, rim-jim, pitter-patter, pitter-patter are slowly being replaced by “watch-out here comes the rains!” Even as the dark skies gather in the sky, I am confidently looking forward to an exciting week ahead. And I hope that you too are! Until next Sunday, then......
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