AA Edit | Do our citizens’ lives come last?

A couple of accidents that happened in quick succession in two different parts of the county imperilling and extinguishing human lives points to the utter lack of a sense of safety among the people and authorities as well as inadequate precautions, total disregard for the law and the inability to tap best tools for rescues.  

As many as 40 human beings in Uttarakhand are waiting for rescuers to reach them where they are a trapped in the debris of a tunnel they were constructing. It is important that we construct roads that take us to our destinations faster and in a more comfortable manner, but such goals must be put to the rigorous test of technological feasibility, and human and environmental cost. It is common knowledge that the Himalayas are one of the most unstable topographies in the world. There must have been contingency plans for emergencies and systems ready for quick response. Attainment of these basics is yet to be displayed in this case.

An illegal chemical dump in an apartment which went up in smoke took the lives of nine people in Hyderabad. The fire was started by a short circuit but spread due to the presence of chemicals stored in the basement. Criminal negligence coupled with carelessness killed members of two families and injured several others.

We as a nation must go back to the drawing board and also learn to respect the lives of our citizens. Safety standards are global, and agencies are working 24 by 7 to improve them in sectors across the board. India must be a part of such efforts and implement them in every project in this country. We no more have the excuse to project lack of resources as an alibi for callousness; we are the fifth largest and the fastest growing economy in the world. India must also make people literate about safety, and the efforts must start from the ground zero, that is homes and schools, where at present no lessons on safety are imparted or received.