State of roads reflect city’s health

but in the state of the infrastructure. If roads are bad, not only is the first impression poor, but also a sign of other problems. There is no data (with me) to suggest that Maharashtra has slipped out of the top ten state in the ‘ease of doing business’ because Mumbai, the financial hub, has pathetic roads. But surely, the ‘joy of doing business’ suffers tremendously.

The greater ramifications are for citizens. Roads are not only to facilitate commute, but also bind a city together. The complex labyrinth that makes up the promenades, lanes, bylanes, is the nervous system of a metropolis, to which everything else is willy-nilly sensitive. If some roads are badly affected, repercussions can be felt in different parts, sometimes the entire city. When Lower Parel and Dadar were flooded last week, South Mumbai was virtually cut off from the north. This impacted commute to work, provision of services, meeting emergencies, et al.

A city’s roads become a metaphor of its health and sustainability. If these are bad, inevitably there will be other infrastructure (buildings, rail tracks, bridges) in perilous condition. There is a strong likelihood of environmental degradation too, and health, education facilities/ services etc will be under duress.

Why should this be so is best answered by those who study and research such things, but it’s true the world over. Think of one robust, thriving metropolis whose roads are poor? On the other hand, poor roads indicate strongly that the city itself is crumbling, or close to it. Mumbai, more than any other city in the country, has suffered the most on this count. This week’s deluge showed how poorly equipped the city is to cope, though this crisis recurs annually.

The political blame game that invariably follows is pointless in my opinion because every political party has had a hand in bringing matters to this pass. All we’ve got from leaders and other authorities is homilies, excuses and assurances of a better tomorrow.

Of what use is that? As the old aphorism goes, just good intentions, without the vision and will to execute them serve no purpose. On the contrary, they pave the way to hell. Many in Mumbai may well argue we are already there.