Government has a duty to protect and maintain public assets, but citizens also have a responsibility. Public infrastructure is collective property, not nobody’s property. Vandalising manhole covers, bridge railings and public furniture weakens our shared sense of ownership
A CITY is judged not only by the projects it commissions but by how faithfully it protects and maintains them. Maintenance is more than repairs; it is a language of governance that tells citizens, “We still care.”
Our sidewalks, parks, medians, drainage channels, road setbacks and utility corridors were deliberately planned for public benefit. Yet many have been taken over by illegal structures, refuse dumps, indiscriminate parking and unregulated trading. The result is predictable—flooding, congestion, unsafe roads and declining public health.
Maintenance is equally important. Roads, streetlights, parks and drainage systems should not be abandoned after commissioning. Recent flooding across several cities reminds us that neglected infrastructure eventually fails everyone. Even a bridge can become flooded when its drainage outlets are clogged.
Government has a duty to protect and maintain public assets, but citizens also have a responsibility. Public infrastructure is collective property, not nobody’s property. Vandalising manhole covers, bridge railings and public furniture weakens our shared sense of ownership.
Belonging grows where people encounter order, cleanliness, beauty and functional infrastructure. Great cities are remembered not by how many projects they commission, but by how faithfully they care for what they have already built.
