Punjab govt ill-prepared as ever
Punjab is no stranger to Dengue virus. Therefore, since it has become a regular feature like the floods, one hoped the provincial government would have learnt to be ahead of the curve by now. Yet the fact that rain water and floods provide for the ideal natural conditions for Dengue larvae to develop seems to have escaped the Shahbaz Sharif administration, again. It is now becoming obvious that despite being warned well in advance about the rains, and the likelihood of this seasons floods being worse than last year’s, the government did not so much as budge on either concern. It made no provisions for the floods, which have affected thousands and displaced many, many more. And it definitely did not pre-empt the Dengue virus.
Considering how deeply the virus affects society once it starts spreading, it would have been logical for provincial authorities to prepare in advance. Yet there have been no advance warnings and no public awareness campaigns. And there have also been no fumigation drives, even in main cities like Lahore. With rainwater now collected in large amounts throughout the province – precisely because of ignoring rain warnings – the virus will definitely grow more than it would have had necessary precautions been taken. That means, like every time, the government will once again react to problems as they snowball, presenting itself as a victim of natural forces beyond its control. It is just this approach to things that affect normal people that has distanced it from the masses.
Instead of declaring post-event emergencies, the CM is advised to heed the old advice that prevention is better than cure. Such emergency management should be initiated well in advance of disasters like floods and Dengue. Should this virus now take hold, and scores of people suffer unnecessarily, the N league will once again be responsible for not only its own problems, but also people’s suffering, multiplying. It is hoped better sense will prevail before more damage is done.
