The Unfinished Promise of Our Streets
Reading the news about the Bombay High Court intervening to question the prolonged delay in the Bandra skywalk construction brings a familiar sense of frustration, mixed with a sliver of hope. It's a classic Mumbai story: a public infrastructure project, meant to ease the lives of citizens, gets caught in an inexplicable limbo, forcing the judiciary to step in and demand the accountability that should have been inherent in the system.
The court's inquiry into why civic officials haven't been held responsible for the delay is the question on every Mumbaikar's mind. It's not just about a single skywalk; it's a symptom of a larger ailment where timelines are treated as suggestions and public funds seem to evaporate into bureaucratic inertia. We see the skeletal remains of stalled projects across the city, monuments to poor planning and a lack of urgency.
A Familiar Refrain
This isn't a new problem, and my concern for Mumbai's civic and transport infrastructure is not new either. For years, I have been documenting these challenges. As I've noted before, a quick search of my own archives reveals over 180 posts on 'Transport' and more than 115 on the 'BEST' bus service (Simplifying Search). I have consistently explored the systemic issues that hold our city back. Seeing the High Court echo these concerns feels like a validation of long-held observations, but it also underscores the frustratingly slow pace of change.
We live in an age of data. We analyze everything from market trends to social media engagement. Why do we not apply the same rigorous, data-driven approach to public works? We should be able to track every stage of a project with transparent, real-time dashboards accessible to the public. Delays should trigger automatic alerts and investigations, not wait for public outcry or judicial intervention. The technology exists; what seems to be missing is the will to implement it.
True accountability isn't about finding a scapegoat after years of delay. It's about creating systems that prevent such failures in the first place. The High Court's involvement is a necessary and welcome step, but it is a reactive measure. The real solution lies in a proactive, transparent, and technology-enabled governance model that respects both public time and public money.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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