By the Editor: Siddharth Sehgal
In past few days the myth of ‘Sushasan’ or good governance have been submerged in neck deep water, families had to evacuate home due to torrential rains and now they are struggling to come back because Nitish Kumar doesn’t know how to pump out water from inundated streets. The extent of shamelessness crossed all bounds when furniture of deputy CM of Bihar was seen floating on streets, just like the previous year. If deputy CM of Bihar cannot get the sewage system fixed in his area, imagine what it’ll be like in other parts of the state.
Bihar does not suffer with poverty, Bihar suffers with indifference and it was this indifference coated with arrogance that felt like a slap in the face of the people who voted these people into power. There is not a spec of sympathy left in these politicians, rubbing the salt to the injury each day by blaming everything from clogged water to faulty pumping stations on natural disasters. My in laws live in some of the worst affected area of Patna, Rajendra Nagar and they had to leave home to a safer place when rains started on Sep 28th but despite the fact that rains had stopped on Monday, September 30th, they are unable to return because their house is still filled with water and now there is a very serious risk of spreading of water borne diseases in that area. Hospitals are already running their Dengue ward in full capacity and epidemic is quiet a real possibility but as I mentioned earlier, the govt. is in a state of shock.
Cities like Patna has municipal budgets running in crores and I am sure if you look into the books of organizations such as BUIDCO (Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited) things will look more than okay on paper, until that is, the reality comes pouring down. Officially the death toll is somewhere around 161 but official number are just as trustworthy as official claims.
But alas, just like the encephalitis deaths of young children and gruesome rape and atrocities committed at Muzaffarpur shelter home on orphan girls, the loss of life and property in these floods will be just another number in government reports. It makes no difference to these so called leaders of the public that you lost your home, they will come for your votes and the whole corrupt cycle will go on forever.