Watery governance!

By A Mahseen, Dhaka
29 June 2004, 18:00 PM
Water, water, everywhere, but only 58 per cent of the drinking water produced is available to the citizens. The systems loss is 42 per cent officially in WASA (media report). Is there a greater public sin?

This is not an isolated case. Similar high system losses prevail in the other public sectors (electricity, campus, implementation rate of ADP (development) projects, secretariat, etc). Elected regimes have come and gone since 1991, but the constancy of the inefficiency is remarkable in its stability and persistence.

But one secret is not being let out--the systems loss in our 'high class? polities: Why it cannot be calculated by the experts? If the losses in this area is reduced by 15 to 20 per cent, the public will notice it without pointing it out, because this is the root cause of all the other evils.

Then there is the noise pollution, in which the politicians excel.

Perhaps the noisy demonstrations confirm the fact that the people are not lending their ears to the cacophony of dubious programs for the rehabilitation of the self and of the rejected parties. Beating empty drums produce no solid results, due to watery resolutions for the uplift of the people (sorry, read political parties').

Too many leakage's everywhere. Water is fluid, therefore has movement. How solid politics leaks is unfathomable. Traditional wisdom says keep the feet warm, and the head cool. How it justifies hartal is not clear.

Let us concentrate on ONE system loss-in politics. Then the rest would take care of itself. Beat Bush, but do not beat about the bush.

Whither working ethics?