<p><em>With cities being under water during monsoon, will the people running the municipalities wake up and provide the basic amenities that will form the crux of being smart, asks <strong>Manish Kumar Pathak</strong></em><br><br>The monsoon is well under way in most parts of the country. This is not something out of the ordinary. It is an annual affair, and in many quarters comes as a relief from the sweltering heat. However, after two or may be three days, this pleasure gives way to compounding pains. The appalling conditions of the roads, the stagnant water which is a reminder of the stagnant state of municipal bodies.<br><br>‘Smart Cities’ is a much sought after programme, a rather ambitious one, and deserves all the support that it merits. But will the people running the municipalities wake up and think about providing the basic amenities that will form the crux of being smart. Drainage system goes for an absolute toss, whenever sustained rainfalls hits our cities, and to make matters worse the officials donning the hat of responsibility in the municipality offices are isolated from any accountability; perhaps they remain isolated from any work throughout their tenure.<br><br>Political influence plays a big part in the appointment of these officials, and therein lays the loop-hole. In the garb of extending their political clout they are more into appeasing the higher authorities rather than getting down on the grounds and doing their jobs. The National Capital Delhi, has become a drain, with waterlogged streets proving to be a nightmare for commuters. Overflowing drains, littered wastes and hapless citizens are forced to wade their way through the mess. Who then should be held accountable? Not very long ago, the staff of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was up in arms against the government for not paying them. After that matter was resolved, who will lodge a protest against this muddle? Yes, there was protest, the Twitter hashtags that surfaced pretending to carry the grievances of the masses. There was a lot of noise, hurling accusations, and then everything was thrown into cold-storage.<br><br>Are we then equally responsible? Do we have the basic traits of civic responsibilities, or have we become so prone to the garbage strewn around us, that it no more bothers us. The unplanned construction that intrudes on otherwise planed streets are only aggravating the issue. The dumping of wastes by the common-folks at places where it is not supposed to be dumped eventually comes back to bite us. Knowingly, or unknowingly we have become a part of this mindset, that things will not change, and we are just a trivial entity in this entire nexus of corruption. So we either blatantly ignore rules, or just close our eyes.<br><br>We also forget very easily. After all the howling at the politicians for their inefficiency (politicians that we have elected), this anger will slowly evaporate as the rains cease. Across political circles there is this psyche that we civilians will just forget and move on. When then are we planning to change, when we will demand that these basic amenities are a supreme must?<br><br>‘Smart Cities’ may still be realised, but are we willing to be smart citizens?<br><br> </p>
