[rramadass]

I read it as, The growth of Mexico City may have accelerated and exacerbated the problem but certainly "unintended consequences" from the projects were not planned for. It is not a blame game as much as asking how could Engineering not have thought of such future catastrophes and planned accordingly. He provides the answer himself; it is because the failures were slow and creeping and hence the Politicians/Bean counters ignored them in pursuit of short term "development".