Shouldn’t take a G20 to galvanise BMC into action!

Representational images. Pic/iStock

A meeting of the Development Working Group of the G20 in the Council will be held in the city from December 13 to December 16.
WhatsApp chats are abuzz with opinions and photos about Mumbai being spruced up for the G20. Citizens seem wryly amused and taken aback at the fast clip at which the work is taking place. From dividers to cleanliness drives things are being spruced up so that there is a visible change in the city and Mumbai can put its best face forward at these meetings.

Citizens seem amused but bitter, too. While there may be pride that the city is getting a facelift and we do want our guests to see what we have to offer, there are questions at the speed with which this work is taking place.

Why then the tardy response when there are genuine civic problems? Why are citizens made to wait ages, have to ‘escalate' their complaints even when it has solid merit about illegal parking, encroachment, dangerous open ditches or manholes, rubbish dumps, footpaths that may prove hazardous for senior citizens to walk on? Why are they bounced off to different agencies for something that needs attention and action as soon as possible?

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Not just the G20, any VVIP arrival or movement is greeted with great speed in getting work done, traffic control measures and just the fact that the response time is so quick is astonishing and leaves citizens fuming.

This does not apply to security measures which are of course, necessary, but general upliftment undertaken. This proves there are different yardsticks when it comes to response to complaints or civic issues. It also proves that we have the capability of getting things done, but the ordinary citizen, the taxpayer, the Mumbaikar who has no influence, is not famous, is not connected politically may need to wait much longer, or, in many cases, forever, to get problems addressed and solved.