Flood failures

Friday, 3 December 2010 00:47 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The incessant rains have managed the impossible. They have sent floods to court in a unique petition that calls for the removal of all illegal structures that impede the flow of water causing hardship to people.

This may seem a rather extreme measure, but the people are understandably fed up. Each day there are long lines of traffic hampering tired people from getting to their homes; the time, energy and money wasted by the floods is inestimable. However, what must be considered are the means taken to solve this problem. As in most situations we are forced to question whether the means justify the ends.

There is the real need to deal with natural disasters promptly and efficiently. With growing populations and larger affected communities, the burden on public funds grows daily. The people who are displaced from their homes need to be taken care of, their homes rebuilt and livelihoods restored, all actions that need money and it is clear that the Government along with most other institutions is unprepared to meet these challenges.

Yet, these are hardly rare occurrences. Several times each year Colombo and its outlying areas are flooded, landslides occur and people are displaced. Then the water level recedes, people return to their homes and life goes on. In most instances the only time people pay attention is when they are displaced by floods again – and so the cycle continues.

Most of the people who are affected by floods are the very people who build these illegal structures, mostly out of sheer necessity. Illegal structures that cause flooding are not often built by the rich – or at least they know how to make sure that they are sufficiently protected before doing so. For the poor, who have no choice but to take shelter where they can, are also the ones to suffer the most when the rainy season hits.

The root of illegal structures is therefore clear. It is poverty. A fact that has to be taken into account by the petitioners and they must understand that these people need help. They are not numbers confined to a sheet; nor are they people that only the Government must take care of; they are someone’s father, mother, son or daughter and deserve to be treated as individuals with rights. Breaking down their homes or businesses might solve the flood problem, but it will cause an entire plethora of other socioeconomic issues that Sri Lanka is ill-equipped to deal with at this juncture.

The development plan for Colombo sounds promising. But there are several glaring shortcomings in the programme presented by the Government. One is the fact that the people are still not sure of where they are going and what will be provided for them. Will their children be allowed to go into Colombo schools once their addresses have been changed? What of the quality of the dwellings they will be offered? Will the compensation given for their property be adequate? How can their voices be heard by the top officials?

This will probably be the first in a long line of petitions that find their way to courts and authority desktops. As climate change affects Sri Lanka and negative development results are seen on the ground, the challenge of inclusive development will flood people’s conscience – hopefully it will not be too late for an equitable solution.