HONIARA was at a standstill yesterday after a few hours of down pour. One hates to imagine what a week of rain would cause.
Parliament was not able to progress in yesterday’s sitting, schools were closed, Kukum highway was flooded, public transport system was not able to operate as normal, workers were not able to go to work because of one problem or another with their house with even some of the international organisations allowing their staff to work from home because of the bad weather and a whole lot of other issues.
If one takes a ride down memory lane, such predicaments were unheard of. Five to six hours of rain did not bring the capital of the nation to its knees. Only during cyclones such as Namu in 1986.
Now on the streets you will hear people talking about Solomon Islands going backward instead of going forward, after almost 40 years since it gained independence from Great Britain.
Where have we gone wrong?
Honiara city is now often described as the ‘city of potholes’, the city of unplanned development and so on.
Reflecting on the events that happened in the past, one couldn’t help but wonder, how much worse will it be for our children and grandchildren?
When will we ever get out of this dark tunnel? How prepared are we in times of disaster?
The events that unfolded yesterday shouldn’t be taken lightly.
This should serve as a wakeup call for everyone.
Last year about the same time, parliament was adjourned because of the same reason of bad weather.
Now it is time that each and every one of us must have some sort of disaster preparedness plans in place, not only in the workplace but also in our own homes.
A simple illustration; our leaders must legislate with foresight and vision for our country’s continuity and progress. And, the ordinary member of public must be mindful of how he/she disposes his/her rubbish.
Every action is interconnected. Hence, an irresponsible action by a leader, trickles down to poor and unplanned drainage systems for the capital. And a careless littering by someone ends up clogging the culvert. Then Honiara is flooded within minutes of heavy rain.
The nature phenomenon has developed into something different and we need to be ahead in how we do things.
We cannot continue to stay as we are if we want our country to truly develop.
