It was late summer when I was in my office and I heard a voice of excitement—a long-awaited rainy season was here. Usually rains bring a lot of problems in Karachi due to lack of management of city district government; broken roads, sewerage issues, traffic jams etc., as most less-learned call it world-known issues of our Quaid’s city.
Yes, standing water was all over on side roads. We watched hand goes in hand to help each other in getting motorcycles out of dirty water. Nobody knows whose vehicle was it; they just wanted to make sure nobody would have to bare a loss, nobody’s property is damaged.
Boys were pulling up a motorcycle when a heavy vehicle attempted to pass through them. I saw boys leaving the motorcycle, which went in the water—drowning itself to a level where it could not be seen again, whilst trying to maintain their balance. Reason, why I was watching through the window, was my own car which looked safe earlier and I was beginning to think of getting downstairs and help others. But I saw, what I had to see, something I didn’t wanted to see. My car pulled itself from ground, in water, travelled through a distance and threw itself back to the ground as the heavy vehicle passed through.
I pulled my eyes over as I knew my car had gone through a hard time; I was feeling sorry, I saw electric poles with wires passing through them. They were shinning like gold as lights reflected, and when water touched them gently, it sparked and became a beautiful sight for some—people like us, but imposed a risk of life for people who travelled beneath them.
During this time of the year we wish if we were out of electricity while at other times we wish if we had electricity. We joke around; make fun of electric companies as they have failed in supplying adequate amount of electricity to its consumers. They cry of people who steal electricity from their wires but why don’t they take adequate measures to prevent this million dollar open robbery from the government reserves.
In the developed countries electricity runs underground but it isn’t required either. We have technology to cater solar power or wind mills; in this way we will be able to cater the electrical needs of consumers as well as impose lesser risk for travelers. But I believe that the government officials are scared of losing billions of rupees in terms of revenue from their consumers. However, if they see it through in brighter perspective, they can still maintain to generate this revenue from their consumers.
If electrical companies operating in cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad or even in any town, starts supplying solar panels and its related equipment including installment and maintenance services which costs equally or slightly higher but consumers are willing to pay if they see that the services are delivered of equivalent price paid. In this way, the government will be happy and the people governed, which will hopefully result in beginning to a prosperous future. One department starts working efficiently, whilst making money for government and governing people, others will be motivated to try the same. In the meantime, consumers should learn to respect their governing people but it should be earned.
Voice of silence made me speechless..