Lessons from the recent hard rains

Refreshing common sense, and a need for more accountability

The recent floods and landslides were surely a nightmare for those who lost their homes and possessions, and words of encouragement are, in addition to material assistance, helpful to the recovery process. There was plenty of sweet talk from politicians who rushed to the scenes of the devastation.

Leave it to Housing Minister Balbina Herrera to bluntly talk common sense to the flood victims and general public, even if some people don't want to hear it.

Viewing the devastation of houses built in flood plains, the minister said that the government would not spend any money to rebuild in the vulnerable areas where people had been living. On the face of it, that's a sound public policy.

Yes, there are agricultural advantages to farms in low-lying areas, and flood-resistant ways to build. Of course the people who are displaced should be relocated in ways that allow them to continue their occupations if they wish. Relocation should not be an excuse for land grabs. But with all of those caveats, Panama ought to enforce a policy of prohibiting construction in naturally vulnerable areas, whether it's poor people building shacks on muddy flood plains or rich people building mansions on sandy beaches.

Over the years we have had many fine public statements about land use policy, and some of them have even been adopted into Panama's laws. It's refreshing to see some of them put into practice, as Balbina seems intent upon doing.

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The annual heavy rains have, on the other hand, revealed some apparent flaws in the way government operates that ought to be investigated and corrected.

The steel and concrete bridge over Rio Indio was less than five years old, yet it washed away and left part of Colon province isolated. The western approach ramp to the Centennial Bridge was less than three years old, yet it crumbled away and slid down the hillside in the face of the elements.

There was a warranty covering the latter problem, and the government also may have some financial recourse against those who designed or built the Rio Indio bridge as well. But money issues aside, we probably face a larger problem. It appears that unsound structures were accepted by the government when inspectors should have caught the problems at their outset, well before they disrupted our public transportation system.

Roads washing away because somebody has cut costs by failing to install proper drainage is a very old story in Panama. Lazy or corrupt inspection services are also a time-honored feature of our government.

Maybe the problems with our new bridges were the results of something else. But whatever the causes, we should find out exactly what the problems were, who or what created them and take all of the necessary corrective actions.

Panama has lots of competent engineers and builders, and plenty of people qualified to inspect public works. There is no good reason why the people should have to pay for and be inconvenienced by substandard roads and bridges. "Act of God" and "it was their turn to enjoy the spoils of public office" are unacceptable excuses. There should be accountability for what happened to the Centennial and Rio Indio bridges.

Bear in mind...

Pride is a powerful narcotic, but it doesn't do much for the auto-immune system.

Stuart Stevens

The world is before you, and you need not take it or leave it as it was before you came in.

James Baldwin

The rich rob the poor and the poor rob one another.

Sojourner Truth