Colombo's death traps nobody's concern
by Afreeha Jawad
Failing to register in my mind are bus route numbers except of course
a few here and there. However, I know for certain which bus would carry
me where. Yet, that's not the concern of my delivery through Observer
Eye this Sunday. Instead, it has much to do in drawing its concern over
what is called public good not the kind of politicians' Mahajana
Subasiddiya which good is more personal than public.
Look, now if you happen to be there I mean on the pavement opposite
the Borella market along D.S. Senanayake Mawatha, (incidentally, the
market has two entrances one on Cotta Road as well), you would find just
where the 103, 154, 17...... 16.... stop' gosh! I can never forgive
myself on this. Let me think of starting and winding up points .....yes,
I've got it...the Mattakkuliya/Narahenpita route... never mind the
number... there on the pavement staring at you are bits and pieces of
crooked iron stumps sticking out of the ill paved cement. These perhaps
being remnants of old railings have not been totally done away with and
stand exposed, all too very rusty, ready to take on some passenger more
conscious of boarding the bus than have his concentration on these
injurious protrusions.
I've seen people, particularly during rush hours encountering these
metal protrudings only to end up bleeding profusely. Its edges so very
sharp is enough even for the most careful of people who by chance should
they trip will need a toxcide penetration then and there before cerebral
poisoning could set in.
This crowded locality is a place not to be missed out by one and all.
It surely would not have escaped the eye of public health inspectors
coming into the Borella market, not that the market is better off with
them. Oh! that's altogether another story. The cops sometimes are there
cheaper by the dozen. Yet, its no one's business. Who cares? If people
do encounter these veritable death traps that's their business is the 'I
careless less attitude' of these personnel supposedly into people's
welfare.
Besides, death knell tolls even on the market's steps. Just have a
look at it. The skirtings, edgings or whatever have come off or
believably removed what with these days the kudukaaraya as they are
called shouldering the blame for every loss from even railings to lamp
posts. On these steps bits and pieces of cement also remain broken-here
again is a nobody's concern. In a country that stands atop roof
expressing overwhelming concern over what social welfare elite describe
as 'otherwise abled' there's not even a banister for the senior citizens
to come in and make their purchases compelling one to understand that
senior citizens are devoid of needs!! Little wonder then why Zoom lens
has not spotted even one in this fraternity stepping into the market.
Thank heavens for that, for should they endeavour to do so, they've got
to be somewhat ambidextrous what with one eye on the uneven steps and
the other on the banister free wall in the vain hope of even one of
those bricks being saviour in case of some eventuality.
Having said all this, now let's get to Cotta Road - now named N.M.
Perera Mawatha. The state of affairs along this roadstretch is not at
all complimentary of this illustrious personality.
The exposed gully near Chilton Hospital disposes hospital waste all
along this roadway though for a while authorities were into, shall we
say accountability - the type of which that comes off not out of moral
conscience but press exposure. Once again the manhole keeps overflowing
and as is typical of Sri Lankan 'accountability', the hospital
authorities look the other way.
By the way this road has existed for too long even without pavements.
Perhaps the local authorities feel the electorate here do not need any.
So people are found drifting on all sides and angry motorists grind
their teeth with outbursts of classy language at times - so very spicy
only when delivered in the native lingo - English being no match for it.
From Borella let's now do a mental shift on to McCallum Road. Right
near the May Queen store just past a sea food outlet, on to the left
coming from Fort, Zoom lens may have gone minus the zoom and the lens if
not for some powerful invisible force coming to her rescue.
This ill-paved area recently took her unawares while on her routine
constitutional and there she lay flat on her tummy. Never say die and
there she arose light as a flower petal back on her marathon - thanks to
her constitutional exposure to Yoga exercises so dutifully carried out
on a regular basis. Bystanders were aghast of how everything went off so
well with herself intact all in one piece.
My point is this. In a country where accountability is not even a
thing of the past, we the citizens must learn to adjust. We must keep
our bones and limbs in trim to face what comes off an unaccountable
system. Hence the need for greater exercise or workouts as the trendy
set would call it, to face any eventuality. Also whatever little bag you
may carry must accommodate some eau-de-cologne and anti-inflammatory gel
for God knows when you will need it!!
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