In the 1970s and 1980s the development of the infrastructure in this country was massive and formidable. Billions of riyals were spent to forge, build, and implement projects to gratify the needs of a growing people. Communities sprouted in places where there was only dirt and sand. Smaller towns sprawled into each other and soon merged as large metropolitan cities.
Not a day passed by when one did not witness a new scheme or development beginning to take root. Workers from all parts of the world were recruited and contributed in their own way and with their own expertise to the challenges this mammoth boom posed.
The maturation of society was rapid and occasionally painful, as the citizenry was overawed by a burst of activity all around them, the volume of which had never been witnessed anywhere in this century. In the era that followed, other projects were grossly mismanaged by some of our own, and for which we are still paying the price. Our water and sewage system is one of them.
Today, most of those foreign workers are gone but left behind are the relics of their efforts. Some, painfully I may add, are beginning to show the ravages of time and are on their way to become chronicled monuments of a recent era.
This does not have to be the case. The key element missing here is maintenance, something we have a tendency to ignore in just about every facet of our lives. We tend to neglect our bodies, and on a larger scale, tend to neglect everything around us. After all, why bother with something that works just fine for now? This attitude is fine so long as things work well. But the moment something falls apart, we are taken off guard. The evidence is all around us.
Take to the roads today and tell me how you feel. Or walk into a modern and state-of-the— art building or structure built in the last decade or so, only to notice the beginning stages of neglect and decay. Or try using a service, which although recently introduced has fallen on hard times.
Our philosophy and indifference toward maintenance is a major factor in this decline. Someone may buy an expensive automobile, yet may search for the cheapest of labor to operate it. The same attitude could apply to those investing in factories or industries. Just about any responsible individual or party is more concerned with the initial investment in a project than the continuing expenses of maintaining his investment.
Is it indifference or ignorance, I sometimes wonder? Does not the analogy to a human body apply to just about everything we build or create? Admittedly, maintenance comes with a price. But the cost of neglecting this necessary function is far greater than imagined.
A body comes into existence. If all is well, this body grows and matures into a healthy being. Along the way, however, steps have to be taken to ensure the continuous growth and development in a manner that will produce very little setback for a healthy and productive life. These necessary steps are what are called “maintenance.”
The same philosophy could very easily apply to all around us. Not just to humans, but to the vast infrastructure around us.
