Idiot Planning (standard:non fiction, 1322 words)
Author: Juggernaut	Added: Oct 27 2010	Views/Reads: 2754/1734	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
An essay on beuracratic bungling experiences in a developing country.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

Poorna Market, the oldest and largest daily bazaar was built decades ago
in the low-lying area of town. Always under water when it rains.  For 
decades, flooding from the rains was a serious problem in and around 
the market and yet, no serious measures were taken to prevent 
submergence. Juggernaut met with the civil engineer in charge for the 
area to find out what it takes to solve the flooding problem once for 
all. “How about installing several lift stations strategically around 
the market to pump the rain water out,” suggested Juggernaut. 

The chief Engineer, a proud father of four, only wants to talk about his
children, all living in the United States. 

The main route to the city cremation grounds pass through railway bridge
underpass; always few feet underwater when it rains.  The entire 
funeral procession has to get wet up to the knee level when it rains 
hard. The only body that remains dry in the funeral procession was the 
dead one carried several feet high from the ground level. What it takes 
to fix the dreaded water logging problem below the railway bridge? So 
far only idiot thinking was hindrance. 

Some years ago on vacation, Juggernaut was taking a morning stroll on
the beach front road, several landscaping workers were planting palm 
trees right on the edge of the beach road; “I see water scarcity here, 
who will take care of these young palm trees until they establish? 
Asked ever inquisitive Juggernaut. 

“Once these trees establish, this place would be like Marina beach with
tree lined beach road,” the supervisor on the job boasted. On 
completing the expensive tree planting project for miles, not a soul 
from the Public Works Department revisited to take care of the plants.  
The entire project costing a fortune evaporated just like the palm tree 
saplings under hot sun. Who was in-charge here? 

On the opposite side to the dead trees lining project on the beach road,
a wide area with potential to accommodate ever increasing traffic was 
wasted to erect scores of twice the life size statues of leaders in 
art, politics and whatnot. Millions spent on erecting these statues 
could have been well spent on expanding the narrow beach front road. 
12-inch exhibits of these figures would be cost effective and serve a 
better purpose in the local museum than the gigantic statues occupying 
precious land space on the beach front road. Idiot planning or what? 

Bad lands comprise of sharp peaks and deep valleys of red lateritic soil
formations occupied miles of beach front road decades ago were now 
replaced by expensive high-rise condominium buildings. None of these 
high-rise condo units including several luxury hotels and scores of 
restaurants on the beach road have sewer collection system for 
treatment at a sewer treatment plant. The developers let the raw sewer 
sink into septic tanks in the ground or let it out to drain into sea. 
Whose was planning these multi-million projects without sewer 
collection and treatment? Was anybody checking E. Coli count in the sea 
waters for public safety after all that raw sewer draining into the sea 
on a continuous basis. Beach front property either condos or hotels 
demand high price for its beach scenery and easy access to beach, but 
not a beach that's part of sewer and debris collection system for the 
area. Was idiot planning entrenched here. 

The southeast part of the city is the hub of heavy industries, a huge
iron ore conveyor system for off-shore loading, a steel and fertilizer 
plant, ship building plant, deep sea harbor, a major naval defense 
establishment and scores of other heavy industries A temple to worship 
Lord Venketeswara was built on top of a small hill at the edge of the 
ocean in that area decades ago before all the industrial development.  
Now, the access to the temple was anything but easy and the immediate 
vicinity of the temple was highly polluted from dust and noise from the 
industries around. Relocation of the temple to an area more accessible 
to the devotees should be on the drawing board; instead money is being 
spent to expand the temple sitting on a hill in the middle of smoke 
stacks. One wonders what the temple (mis)management team were thinking. 
The temple and the idol inside were manmade in the first place, and it 
can be relocated. 

While walking on the streets of Vizag and other major cities in the
state, one can notice idiot planning. Just like a place designated for 
burials and cremations in a city; all the statues in every city, scores 
of them should be moved to a designated location for burial and can 
only be viewed for a price just like Qin Terracotta Warriors in China 


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