Dengue and Chikunguniya are as dreaded today as tuberculosis and polio, small pox and malaria were in the not-so-distant past. These two new strains of malaria, transmitted by mosquitoes that breed merrily in filthy conditions, in stagnant open drains and pools of contaminated water, have come to haunt India. These diseases are fast becoming fatal, much like the plague. That in this day and age our municipalities are incapable of ensuring basic sanitary conditions, incapacitated by endemic corruption and a lack of accountability, only goes to prove the failure of governance that has overwhelmed our polity.

In Delhi, the capital of India and a favoured city, the flouting of all social norms, ranging from chucking garbage on the street to encroaching on spaces that are out of bounds under the law, have led to complete anarchy and corruption, and finally to the degradation of the city. It has reached unmanageable proportions and the lack of honest governance and correct policing has aggravated the situation to a point of no return.

Those who have lived off and flourished by breaking the law are now fighting to keep illegalities alive hoping to make them ‘legal’. Yes, it is as convoluted as it sounds here. The gutters of the city are never cleaned and therefore, when it rains for a few minutes, the city comes to a standstill as the water rises and stagnates, with nowhere to drain off to. No official in the municipality, nor the concerned department is hauled up or suspended for failing to do his job.

At construction sites that are at every corner owing to the building boom, no norms for clearing the debris and rubble or for making sure that water does not stand indefinitely at the site and suchlike are enforced. Access points, by lanes, even main arteries are blocked with what is referred to as malba. If we can see the muck, surely our leaders and their bureaucrats can see it too. Why then does nothing happen? Why are we held to ransom in this manner by the government?

Missing in action

Delhi is in a bizarre situation. The part of the city that houses the strange breed called the VIP, is ‘maintained’ by the NDMC. It is cleaner and more privileged. Disease does not strike the inhabitants here as it does elsewhere in this capital. However, this time round, according to the television reports beamed to us, the prime minister’s grandchildren have tested positive for dengue and have been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Ironically, dengue was rampant on the campus of this prestigious institution where mosquitoes had found a virtual haven in the open, choked gutters and garbage dumps.

Just the image of India’s premier scientific institute, enveloped in filth, makes one’s stomach turn. There is no excuse whatsoever for this state of affairs. And no one has been brought to book or held responsible. Will the entry of this near fatal disease into the ‘poshest’ parts of town finally herald the much-needed awakening and trigger some real action?

Small pox, polio, malaria, tuberculosis have all been eradicated. Today, decades down the road, when other diseases too should have been put to rest, these old timers are back with a vengeance. There is a direct correlation with the deteriorating environment, the lack of green and tree cover, the poisoning of water sources and the destruction of natural catchment areas, the brutal assault motivated by greed that building and timber mafias are inflicting thoughtlessly on this land, and most important, the nexus between political professionals, the administration and the commercial groups.

Long-term and sustainable growth can be painful because it demands adherence to norms and regulations. Great civilizations are built on values and ethics, not on quick bucks and corruption.