Apropos the editorial, "Chennai's floods" (November 19), the deluge in Tamil Nadu's capital city is believed to be the worst in a long time and has thrown life out of gear. The sight of several areas under knee-deep water and commuters using ferries to cross the road are pathetic. The floods have once again brought to the fore how ill-prepared we are in dealing with natural calamities. India's disaster management system is far from satisfactory.
The crux of the problem is lack of political will. Understandably, the people of Chennai have expressed their ire and disappointment at the inept handling of the situation by the state machinery. When political leaders ascend to power, they are expected to fulfil the commitments they had made during their election campaign. Public memory is short and people's tolerance level is quite high. Political parties try to take advantage of this trait.
As natural disasters are becoming increasingly common due to ecological imbalances, the state machinery must have a blueprint ready to anticipate them and deal with them more effectively.
Srinivasan Umashankar, Nagpur
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