Daily Lessons from Life 6-7 October 2012 - China's residents fear hidden dangers in big city living

"China's residents fear hidden dangers in big city living - China Daily/Asia News Network Oct 07, 2012

BEIJING, China - In China's cities, where populations are continuing to boom, hazards abound. He Na dons a hard hat to find out why.

Xu Dajiang has learned to tread lightly on his daily walk to work. He says he has reason to be cautious.

In mid-August, a giant hole opened up in the middle of Liaoyang Street, a road he regularly travels in Harbin, swallowing four people.

An elderly lady and an 8-year-old girl were killed on the spot. "It could happen to anybody," said the 30-year-old food-quality inspector.

Yet, the accident is just one in a series of tragedies that have struck in urban areas nationwide.

From sinkholes, to flooding caused by antiquated and underdeveloped drainage systems, to falling glass curtain walls: China's cities have become dangerous places to live, residents say.

Four people were killed and nine injured by sinkholes across the country last month. Nine such incidents occurred in Harbin alone over a period of 20 days.

A Beijing woman died from burns to 99 per cent of her body when she fell through a sidewalk into scalding water on April 8.

Police say they are still investigating the fatal cave-in on Liaoyang Street.

Experts and the public, however, are already pointing fingers at poor urban planning and shoddy underground construction, and many people have taken to the Internet to vent their fears and anger.

"Unbelievable. People just vanished on the street," wrote a blogger on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like website, on Sept 25. "I'll go to Harbin for a business trip tomorrow. I hope there are no cave-ins."

Another posted, "Please hold your friends' hands firmly (in the street) because it's a case of 'now you see them, now you don't'.""

My Chinese friends told me: the 'authority' and the 'business people' are interested to make sure that the facades of the glittering cities - mega or secondary or even 3rd-tier - are taken care of as these are VISIBLE! Anything that goes underground it NOT their focus!!

Lessons for me are:

1. fast and faster growth at all costs will take some people's lives and properties as 'collateral' damages as far as the people who advocate such a 'growth at all costs' philosophy;

2. are they not worry that the tragedies may strike them or their loved ones? Well. Maybe they think about it but only fleetingly as they supposedly enjoyed the wealth created and SHOULD be removed from such tragedies. Well. That's what they think anyway. They have too much to lose materially if they depend on achieving such growth for their bonuses - legal and illegal ones!;

3. Yet, at the end, these 'powerful and corrupt' people WILL pay the price for their indiscretion and indifference to the macro environment. You see, all things go back to Mother Earth. Any pollution. Any toxic spill. Eventually. Not if it will affect Mother Earth but WHEN!!

Living in some cities in China can be dangerous. When the people find that their safety cannot be guaranteed while 'enjoying' the material growth, they may jolly well call it quit!! It will be a pity when a 'developed' city has no resident in it!!