The tiles fit snuggly into each other, as they were laid out on a flat foundation of sand. The workers, the mason, the material and the whole jing bang was there. The dirt pavement, which was such a hazard during rainy days, and such a dusty place to walk on otherwise, was finally getting a makeover. Walkers mostly preferred to walk on the road, making the road even narrower for the vehicular traffic and in the process risking their lives. Now things would be different, walkers would finally get their space. After enduring a few weeks of construction material on the road, all the noise, dust and the traffic jams that ensue, finally the pavement was ready. It looked neat.
But then, it started, one after another, in quick succession. There was recesses in the pavement at every few meters for the rainwater drainage inlets. The vertical tiles that separated the pavement from the road at the corners of these rainwater drainage inlet recesses started falling. They had not be secured properly with enough adhesive or the angle was not proper or both or something else, but they fell. They always do! As they fell, the beautifully laid out pavement tiles that were sitting so snuggly intertwined with each other loosened. First the ones at the corner loosed and fell, and then the next row followed, till the corners just collapsed. It looked like a pile of rubble. Soon, the loose tiles where gone. The corner looked like a mud slope from road to the pavement, of what was left.
Not that money was not spent, not that labors or masons were taken away from the spot before they could finish. No, nothing of that. It was simply a question of not taking care of the last bit, not doing a proper job of tying it up and sealing it properly.
Everywhere I see, I see that enough money is being spent, but it is the last bit, the last mile that which not done properly wastes the entire effort and the money.
The story repeats, weather it is the pavement, or the cover of the drains, which do not fit the opening properly, or the railing along the side of the parks, which are fixed so flimsily that you know that they will fall if given a push, or electric poles which have the naked electric wires hanging out of the small opening at the bottom of the pole, with the door to the opening, invariably missing or hanging/dangling.
Following Pareto's advice, I had definitely put this in the bucket of 20% things that if done right have a potential to provide 80% positive effect!
But then, it started, one after another, in quick succession. There was recesses in the pavement at every few meters for the rainwater drainage inlets. The vertical tiles that separated the pavement from the road at the corners of these rainwater drainage inlet recesses started falling. They had not be secured properly with enough adhesive or the angle was not proper or both or something else, but they fell. They always do! As they fell, the beautifully laid out pavement tiles that were sitting so snuggly intertwined with each other loosened. First the ones at the corner loosed and fell, and then the next row followed, till the corners just collapsed. It looked like a pile of rubble. Soon, the loose tiles where gone. The corner looked like a mud slope from road to the pavement, of what was left.
Not that money was not spent, not that labors or masons were taken away from the spot before they could finish. No, nothing of that. It was simply a question of not taking care of the last bit, not doing a proper job of tying it up and sealing it properly.
Everywhere I see, I see that enough money is being spent, but it is the last bit, the last mile that which not done properly wastes the entire effort and the money.
The story repeats, weather it is the pavement, or the cover of the drains, which do not fit the opening properly, or the railing along the side of the parks, which are fixed so flimsily that you know that they will fall if given a push, or electric poles which have the naked electric wires hanging out of the small opening at the bottom of the pole, with the door to the opening, invariably missing or hanging/dangling.
Following Pareto's advice, I had definitely put this in the bucket of 20% things that if done right have a potential to provide 80% positive effect!
