The tragic death in Kurunegala of a 14-year-old schoolboy after falling into a storm drain during torrential rain should open the eyes of officials at all levels to the dangers posed by shortcomings in infrastructure throughout the country.
This was a precious life that could have been saved if we had the correct infrastructure in place and even more importantly, the correct rescue machinery and equipment. The absence of both was felt in this heart-wrenching case which got much airplay on local television channels and even some foreign channels.
Several factors contributed to this boy’s tragic demise. There had been unauthorised constructions nearby, which had apparently changed the flow of rainwater. The storm water drain was completely unguarded and could not be distinguished from the road itself as both were inundated. It was by sheer chance that a passer-by had seen the boy fall into the drain, which led to the massive rescue effort.
We must be thankful for the herculean efforts of the personnel from the Army, the Police and the Kurunegala Municipal Council (KMC) and of course, the villagers who battled for nearly two hours to save the boy’s life. However, their efforts were in vain as the boy died after admission to the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital.
We all remember the pithy slogan “Colambata Kiri Apita Kekiri” (milk for Colombo and Pumpkin for villages) from the days of the violent youth insurrection of 1988-89 that aptly sums up what is wrong with our Western-Province based development model. As a television commentator pointed out recently, there are two countries in Sri Lanka – one is the Western Province, the other being the remaining eight provinces combined. Attention is focused heavily on development activities in the Western Province, the richest and the most populous province in the country, at the expense of other regions.
This is how the city got jogging tracks, new roads, shopping malls and apartments, while the development priorities of the provinces were neglected. We cannot blame one particular Government for this debacle, since all Governments that have held power since independence are responsible for it. In fact, this was one of the underlying reasons for the recent Aragalaya, where the youth blamed all Governments for the country’s present plight.
If you regularly watch the TV news bulletins, you would have noticed a news item or two about a dilapidated road, bridge or culvert in a remote village somewhere in the island. But this cannot really happen, since the Central Government spends a colossal amount of money on the Provincial Councils (PCs) and Local Government (LG) bodies in addition to the funds generated by the PCs and LG bodies via taxes in their own areas. It is generally believed that such monies are allocated for development. But in the light of the very poor record of development in many areas, it is safe to assume that such funds may have been used for other purposes. Corruption is another element that comes into play when there is no real accountability.
It is time to do a survey on the infrastructure facilities or rather the lack of it, in all remote areas in the country. Any dangerous spots such as the one that claimed the life of the schoolboy in Kurunegala must be identified and immediate corrective action taken. But judging by this particular incident, even main cities could have such infrastructural shortcomings. In fact, a few years ago, an office worker lost her life amid a heavy downpour in Colombo as she fell into an open manhole. Regular maintenance and repairs to culverts and drains are needed to avoid such tragedies.
The training of personnel in Search And Rescue (SAR) and the provision of equipment for the same is another aspect that the authorities should look into. In most other countries, the type of rescue witnessed in Kurunegala is performed mostly by fire brigade personnel. Sadly, in this country, only a few cities have fully-equipped fire brigades and even these personnel have been trained only for certain SAR situations.
If fire brigades cannot be given to all main cities due to lack of funds, more Police and Security Forces personnel should be trained for SAR, with competent personnel stationed in each Police Station and Security Forces camp. The Police should also have a marine unit to address drownings (unfortunately a rather frequent occurrence) since it takes time for the Navy to be called into some inland areas.
Many experts have said that the Kurunegala boy could have been rescued earlier if the KMC or the nearby Security Forces camps had specialised SAR vehicles and machinery. There is a type of rescue vehicle that is especially adapted to rescuing the victims who fall into drains and culverts. Sri Lanka apparently does not have even one of these.
Many years ago, following the introduction of the Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service, there was a proposal for the introduction of an Air Ambulance Service, whereby each province would get one unit. This proposal should be re-considered once the country is on a better financial footing, for some experts believe that the child could have been saved if he was airlifted to Colombo. While there is a point in what they say, it is also important to upgrade the Emergency Treatment Units (ETUs) and the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of all hospitals islandwide. The authorities must also explore the availability of the latest medical equipment for reviving drowning victims. Action must be taken now itself to avoid a repeat of the Kurunegala incident in the future. No more lives should fall prey to development and regulatory shortcomings hereafter.