To be fair, those of us who are resident in Thimphu – whether Bhutanese or not – have to be considered among the most blessed. If the Royal Government of Bhutan’s periodic mock drills of emergency rescue and evacuation exercises are anything to go by, we should feel a sense of uneasy relief that not everything will be a case of disaster and mayhem. It is not a very comforting thought – but there is now abundant proof that nature induced disasters and calamities will be a part of our daily lives – we have already tasted its ferocity in recent times - in multiple locations around the country and with uncommon regularity.
That said, let us not be in any confusion - these mock drills to test our preparedness has to do with how efficiently we will handle “the aftermath” of the destruction caused by natural events such as earthquakes, fires and floods. It has nothing to do with handling the disaster itself. When natural disasters strike, all that we can do is gawk and gap in awe at its ferocity …. and run for dear life. The power and ferocity of nature has to be seen to be believed!
It is commendable that we are readying ourselves to deal with the destruction that will be caused by nature induced calamities …. But I ask you – what of the calamity of the other kind? …. A calamity that is looming large right in front of our eyes? A man-made calamity that is more calamitous than those caused by nature … a calamity that is building up at a break-neck speed … a calamity called:
!! TRAFFICE CONGESTION !!
But this is a calamity that we have the power and the means to control and mitigate …. no need for mock drills and test runs! Sadly, we are so numbed by a sense of complacency …. that we do not seem to be wanting to do anything about it.
It would appear that people fail to understand that this is a calamity which, unlike the natural ones that will likely happen once is a year, or in five years, or in ten years, or in half a century. But this one that we are ignoring, when it arrives, we have to live with it every day, and every waking hour of our lives!
If we do not address this looming calamity now, in the coming five years or so, Thimphu will be unlivable …. Traffic congestion will be so severe that we will see road-rage on a daily basis. It will derail smooth flow of life – I mean there will be so many problems that the situation will throw up – we have no idea as yet.
We are fully aware that in our condition road expansion cannot happen beyond a certain point. Thus, the way to go is to be inventive, think of creative ways to ease or lighten traffic congestion – create conditions so that we can accommodate the burgeoning vehicular traffic, or redirect it elsewhere – away from the core. If we do not do this NOW, we are in serious trouble.
Look at the situation prevailing already – in the last one year, vehicle dealership has ballooned exponentially …. vehicle population has increased at an alarming rate. You would have already experienced the crushing traffic congestion in the morning hours and in the evenings.
If we put our minds to it, it is not a problem that cannot be surmounted …. Therefore, let us be sensible and focus on solving smaller problems that we can solve …. instead of chasing big dreams which, given our situation, most often remain nothing more than dreams.
To be caught with our pants down every time is not a sign of an evolved society. We need to transcend verbosity and get down to addressing real issues with timely planning and execution. Time is of the essence …. Let not the opportunity pass us by.
