DNA Edit: City dying, but who cares?

This happens every year to Mumbai. Every year, twice or thrice during the monsoon, the city drowns. Every year, we wade through slush, muddy waters, and die of lepto or dengue. Every year, buildings collapse. Every year people fall into open manholes, are crushed by falling trees, or die of electrocution. 

Media asks tough questions (yes, we do), and yet, Mumbai is only ‘prepared’ for disaster the next year. 

The administration never prepares to take on the forces of nature. Forget forces of nature, it does not even learn from man-made disasters. For instance, the Gokhale bridge collapse. No one cared, after the Elphinstone Road foot -over-bridge tragedy last year. No one cared after the two massive fires in Kamala Mills. No one paid attention to Llloyds Estate residents who cried hoarse about irresponsible shore piling next door. 

We try to find heroes in tragedy. Like the motorman who saved lives on Tuesday. Like the pilot who crashed a chartered aircraft into an under-construction building. 

But how long shall we celebrate individual heroes? When will this city get the administration it deserves? Or will it only get the blame game. Where does the buck stop?