Don’t blame the rain, blame the wrapper

EVERY rainy season, the story repeats itself like a badly written sequel: skies open up, gutters overflow and streets become rivers.

Or, put in another way, let us stop pretending the rain is the villain in this story.

The real antagonist is our own behaviour, our chronic habit of treating public spaces like trash cans, especially the drains that are supposed to save us from flooding.

Every plastic bottle, sachet bag, used food pack, or random junk tossed onto the street finds its way to a gutter. And when enough of us do it, those gutters don’t stand a chance.

They clog. The water builds up. The roads flood. And we all suffer-motorists, pedestrians, even the innocent children just trying to get home in peace.

We must be serious, because littering is not just untidy. It is dangerous. Garbage blocks the flow of water and when water has no path to escape, it makes one for itself.

That is when the streets become a stream and cars start acting like a raft. And yet, we still toss our trash with casual confidence that ‘it is just one wrapper.’

Yes and a few thousand of those wrappers are now causing chaos across the city. But if that is not enough of a warning, let us talk about the water itself.

Flowing water is not your friend. It does not care if you are late to work, or if you think your SUV can “handle it.” Newsflash: water always wins.

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Every year, we see the same videos-cars being swept away, people trying to cross rapidly moving streams, some with kids in hand. It is not just reckless, it is tragic. We are urging the public: do not underestimate flood water.

Just six inches of moving water can knock an adult off their feet. A foot of water can float most vehicles. And that calm-looking street could be hiding a missing manhole cover or an open drain.

So, here is what we are saying-clearly and with love: stop littering, respect the water and use your head.

This rainy season, be a responsible citizen. Keep your waste off the streets. Use bins. Organise community clean-ups if needed.

Report blocked drains. Encourage your kids, your neighbours, your co-workers to do the same. Because when the water comes and it will, we will all wish we had done more to prepare. And when it floods, stay alert.

Don’t cross fast-moving water. Don’t drive into flooded roads “just to check.” Your car is not a boat. Your confidence is not a life jacket. Let us stop playing the victim when the rains come. Nature is doing its job.

Are we doing ours? We cannot control the rain, but we can control how ready we are for it. So, pick up that trash, step back from the flooded road and for goodness’ sake, don’t try to outsmart the water.