Letters to the Editor
View(s):Municipal councillors, get your act together and stop blaming citizens
Every citizen, from school child to elderly person is aware of Dengue Viral Fever nowadays. The awareness created through diverse modes of information dissemination has resulted in a clampdown on the breeding of the vector, i.e. the Aedes mosquitoes. Further, nobody wilfully promotes breeding of mosquitoes that transmit the dengue viruses (serotypes) or for that matter other mosquito transmitted pathogens. If at all mosquito breeding places are found within housing premises, the reason could be unintentional or inattention or helplessness.Under these circumstances however, it is sad to note that the so called ‘public health officers’ attached to Local Government establishments take a ‘catch the beggar’ attitude when visiting households.
Just a few days ago, a group of ‘Anti-Dengue Vigilantes’ of the local MC hovered from house to house, down our street. They entered a house occupied by a single elder, over 60 years of age. They found a dugout in the garden which had been done to prevent water flowing into the house. The source of water being the water flowing in from the blocked roadside drain - entering through the water exit outlets of the perimeter wall of the garden!
“There – there, there are mosquito larvae at the bottom of this pit. You are promoting spreading Dengue Fever, here and elsewhere!” they said. The petrified elderly person pleaded that she had no intention whatsoever of breeding mosquitoes. Besides, creation of an environment for the genesis of dengue virus was never in this cultured person’s mind! The ‘anti dengue squad’ of the MC didn’t want to hear her explanation. ‘You defend yourself in court,’ was their attitude.
Three months before this incident, they had knocked on my door. The lead officer spoke aggressively. ‘We came to inspect your apartment to look for Dengue Mosquitoes. Oh! Air in here is stuffy! Open the windows for fresh air.’ Then having gone through the rooms – toilet and bedroom, he started to inspect the kitchenette. He opened the cupboard which held the kitchen sink. ‘Come here … come here,’ he said, ‘can’t you see there is a water leak from the sink.’ In fact, I had noticed this tiny water leak a few days before and kept a plastic basin to collect the droplets of water until the repairman came to fix it. Aren’t these fellows going beyond bounds?
I analysed this incident very carefully. The fault was not in the hands of the hapless elder or for that matter other residents. To the contrary, flooding and water logging had been due to the negligence of local MC drain cleaners – not cleaning the drains in a timely manner– leaving the sludge lying by the roadside until the next shower of rain washes it back into the drain – demanding ransom money for cleaning the drain facing one’s premises! Basically, everything boils down to lack of timely cleaning of drains and also lack of supervision by the responsible supervisers (if there are any such persons?) of the MC. I recall old stories of olden day Kings, disguising themselves and walking the city identifying lapses amenable to correction.
An appeal: Municipal Councillors, do not just get glued to the Council Chamber like the Parliamentarians do. Your endless debates, altercations, disputes, battles and appearances we witness over visual media day after day carry us citizens of this country nowhere. Like the olden-day councillors did, take a walk out and a look outside to check what requires putting right. Local Government Councillors – work towards people’s welfare in your locality, living up to the promises you made to procure our votes at the Local Council Election.
Also, how observant are the ‘anti dengue vigilantes’ of the Local Councils? They need education with regards to human-to-human interaction, no doubt.
Dr. S.W. Gunasekera Via email
Proper research and remedial solution needed to avert continuing brain drain
Having lived quite five decades among academics at the University of Peradeniya and also being a doctor and interacted with the medical profession these past many years I thought I should say something on the drain of human talent we have invested in, to centres abroad.
We take the “creme de la creme” of the school leavers, train them at a formidable expense to the government, amounting to millions of rupees. When they want to come back from their training centres abroad and serve their beloved motherland, we put up barriers for their return. I have seen and heard of young trained post graduates usually around their 30s with young families with children not coming back or returning to centres abroad. The reason being either due to their children who need to go to school, or are in their early grades, not being able to find a school in keeping with their expectations when they return to Sri Lanka.Many of them are not in the income bracket at this stage of their careers to consider private schools for their children.
I too believe in socialism and see reasons for the Government policy regarding ‘the area rule’. These however, are special needs , a question of ‘return on investment’, they are our best, we need them. But like any parent they too would like the best for their child.
It’s time to think outside the box. Innovate. See how other countries in our region have handled the issue.
Another reality is that they have to run two houses if they are on a transferable service, as often Government servants are. To add yet another inconvenient truth, though condominiums are coming up in Colombo and in Kandy, only the rich can afford these apartments.
As far as I am aware there has been no substantial study of this brain drain , it is an inconvenient reality and unless addressed by the Govt, the quantum jump envisaged to a developed economy is but a pipe dream.
Dr. Channa Ratnatunga Via email
Provide solutions, not distractions
Every day seems filled with uproar about the state of the economy, the unpredictable hike in fuel prices, escalating taxation, and the constant struggle to keep up with the increasing cost of living. Amidst this chaotic landscape, the government’s priorities in tackling our country’s burning issues seem misplaced. Due to political agendas and the fight to win favour with some constituents and affiliated parties, the authorities have turned towards the tobacco and alcohol industries for an easy win. While curbing alcoholism and the fight against tobacco is a noble cause, one must question whether it is right to use these as bait to distract the public from the government’s inability to solve even the most basic issues such as garbage disposal.
While I commend the government for their diligent work in this regard, I have noticed that whenever the government faces a lot of pressure from the public to address larger social issues such as corruption, poverty, proper access to clean water and of course the garbage fiasco, it is inevitably followed by a lot of talk on their next steps toward eradicating smoking and drinking in Sri Lanka. Currently, the latest debate appears centred around the plain packaging of cigarettes. This appears to be a crude distraction to direct the conversation away from the aforementioned burning issues for which these officials are accountable to find timely solutions.
Anne Seneviratne, Via email