Spring is finally here and while we in Islamabad have a few more weeks of respite, inhabitants in the plains are already sensing the advent of summer. There was a time when hot weather was synonymous with mangoes, ice cream and monsoons, but a new and more sinister herald now announces the coming of the hot season - Dengue.
If media reports are correct then hospitals in Lahore have already logged 33 cases of this disease and we are not even done with spring. If this is a portent of what is to come, then we have the mother of all outbreaks in the offing, with a provincial and federal government locked in the games that politicians play and the departments responsible for protecting the citizens from this menace, blissfully enjoying the sleep of the naive, till graveyards begin filling.
The monsoons will be upon us in late July or early August and with them will come scenes of chaos in cities, where authorities have bided their time, twiddling their thumbs and doing nothing. And with the deluge will come the floods, to destroy humans, livestock and crops. Our worthy politicians and officials will then galvanise into action, appear on television and give lofty statements. Not one of them will realise that with modern forecasting means available to them, they could have prevented loss of life - if only they had the will and dedication to do so!
The other day, I watched in total amazement as gas cylinders were filled in the middle of a congested city locality with total disregard to the consequences of a catastrophe. My amazement increased manifold, when I saw a pair of policemen on a motorcycle pass in front of the establishment and wave to the proprietor. What is galling is the fact that this was not the only bomb ticking away in a teeming metropolis, but one of the thousands that can be found in cities, towns and villages all over our 'land of the pure'. Soon, an accident will happen, lives will be lost and then the administration will spring into action - too late!
A trip to the inner parts of any major city will reveal some architectural wonders - not owing to the beauty they once represented, but because of the fact that they are still standing and to make matters even more bizarre - are inhabited by people. I tried to reach the upper level of one such building only to come down hurriedly in fear of my safety, while a horde of children ran up and down the precarious stairs, oblivious of the threat, the structure was posing to their lives. I was told that the building had been declared dangerous, but perhaps banknotes in the pockets of the people responsible to demolish it were enough incentive to put lives in peril.
The other day, as I waited in my car, for my family to come out of the maze of bazaars in the inner city, my attention was suddenly arrested by a shower of sparks followed by a cacophony of raucous 'cawing' by a flock of crows. It appeared that one of their more callous 'relatives' had decided to electrocute itself in the tangled jungle of wires and cables that makes up the electrical supply network of our less affluent residential and commercial areas. I said a small prayer for the departed 'bird' and thanked the Almighty that it was not a fellow human, who had fallen victim to this diabolical neglect by our Electric Supply Company.
I hate rats, for they remind me of pestilence and misery, but lo and behold I spotted a couple of them scurrying around in a posh commercial area of Islamabad that boasts some trendy eating places. I guess the Capital Development Authority is waiting for these creatures to replay the horrific tale of the Black Death before they move to rid us of this deadly menace.
Motorists driving by the Faizabad Flyover in Islamabad, the Murree Road between the Convention Centre and the Lake Park and the Seventh Avenue will have noticed groups of young morons doing stunts on their motorcycles. It is only when one of these idiots will pass on to his hereafter and his next of kin will block a road with burning tires that our police will come to life, but to what end?
It is regrettable that apathy and status quo have become synonymous with our government and their callous disregard to potential calamities. This is nothing short of criminal, and to me and other sensitised citizens of this country is akin to becoming an accessory to murder.
n The writer is a freelance columnist.