Small wonders

Friday, 12 November 2010 21:39 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The title ‘Wonder of Asia’ is an aspirational one, a state that we still have much to do to reach if the flood submerged scenes are anything to go by. Thursday was a familiar sight but what makes them more emphatic is the fact that they have been endured an umpteen number of times with little change.

Blocked drains, overflowing roads, traffic snarls on almost every road, postponed exams, power cuts, closed schools, a day off for public servants and even an armoured conveyance for members of Parliament – it was a day of endless drama. For the unfortunate 260,000 odd people who were chased out of their homes by floods, the stale story was familiar. They accepted the State handouts and waited for the floods to recede before returning to their daily lives. Little over 24 hours after the deluge, life returned to normal, people cleaned off the mud and got back to work.

The accepted norm is to shrug and move on – after all, resilience is what Sri Lankans who have survived three decades of conflict know best. We are a race that has the capacity to take struggle in our stride – absorb, adapt and move on. Laudable as this characteristic is, there has to be a point where one stands and says enough is enough. If we have managed to defeat terrorism, then why are we still unable to construct a proper drainage system? If we are able to build highways, then why can we not keep our roads clear during a rainstorm? True, it was the worst downpour in 18 years, but what is that compared to three decades of conflict?

We can build the Hambantota Harbour, a cricket stadium and economic investment zone adjacent to it, but cannot prevent the Parliament from flooding. This situation is worsened by the fact that Rs. 750 million has been earmarked for another Parliament complex, in what many people feel is an unnecessary expense. Sri Lanka can co-host the Cricket World Cup building three international stadiums in the process and make a bid for the Commonwealth Games in 2018, but can’t provide decent housing for the vulnerable people living in its capital and other flood-prone areas.

An international airport in Mattala as well as a score of other projects that would take the better part of a thick book to detail is all tagged as being beneficial for the people. However, the question that goes begging is how 260,000 people can be displaced by flash floods if all this is being done by the Government for the common man. It cannot be denied that infrastructure development is helping people and opening avenues for business, yet it is equally clear that Sri Lanka has to reprioritise its development.

Town planning is a lost art as far as Colombo is concerned, but it is not too late to use some of the funds and expertise that is being funnelled into massive projects for the direct good of vulnerable groups. Small community-driven projects give direct benefits to the people and cost a fraction of the large-scale projects that are loved by politicians. They provide real value directly to the people and are usually more environmentally-sound as well.

To become the ‘Wonder of Asia,’ Sri Lanka must include the small miracles into their plans as well – otherwise everyone will continue wondering what went wrong.