Post-disaster activism?

The unveiling of a Rs 3 billion package for drainage schemes in Lahore by Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi during his visit to a special children's school at Tajpura may be seen by some as a move that dovetails with our tradition of post-disaster activism.
The chief minister has announced a special allocation of Rs 160 million for drainage schemes for Tajpura and the adjoining areas. Incidentally, the city's mega drainage project is to be completed before the advent of the next monsoon season. If not a case of too little, it is certainly a case of too late, as the monsoon downpour has yet again caught us napping.
The chief minister has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the family of a young man, Shahid Akhtar who drowned while rescuing the marooned special children from the submerged school building. A compensation of Rs 1 lakh has also been announced for each fatality suffered during the rains.
Addressing the local residents on the occasion, the chief minister criticised the past governments, which had failed to improve the drainage system of Tajpura, built 21 years ago.
While some mega development projects have indeed been initiated in the province under his stewardship, running down the performance of his predecessors on the occasion amounted to squeezing political mileage out of an issue of general public good. It is not for the first time that rains have played havoc with Lahore's civic life nor can it be the last.
Lahore has experienced worse inundation in the past, particularly of its low-lying areas. There are some localities that turn into veritable lakes, thanks to the inefficiency of WASA, the department responsible for keeping the city's water supply and sewerage system working smoothly. Some years ago large tracts of northern Lahore were drowned in rainwater mainly because of failure of the de-watering pumps.
It was maintained by WASA at that time that the pumps could not function because of a prolonged power breakdown. Household appliances and goods worth billions of rupees were damaged. And there was a storm of protest. This time around the monsoon havoc has hit largely poor localities like Tajpura, etc, where the standard of sanitation and drainage is extremely low at the best of times. Particularly pathetic is the plight of residents of low-lying areas. Shanty dwellers are the worst hit.
The Met Office has, meanwhile, announced another low developing over the Bay of Bengal that may produce more rain in the weeks ahead. Similarly, the westerly wave over Kashmir is persisting, which also means more rains. All these forecasts should prompt the government to goad the relevant agencies and departments to initiate preventive measures.
Monsoon as a seasonal phenomenon has characterised the region's weather pattern over the millennia, which means that it will not go away in foreseeable future, and our governments had better start making arrangements on a permanent basis to protect the citizens from the ravages wrought by rains each year.
Why successive political and non-political governments in Pakistan have failed to address the problem of monsoon inundations on a permanent basis remains a mystery.
Is it a case of inadequate funding, delayed execution of projects or simple bureaucratic lethargy and indifference? Instead of indirectly condoning WASA's inefficiency by blaming his predecessors, the chief minister should seek an explanation from department heads about the pathetic state of affairs at present. Meanwhile, there is an urgent need to activate field health units to handle emergencies in case of outbreak of gastro-enteritis, cholera and other monsoon-related illnesses.