Three days later we have been able to establish the nature of the chemicals that made up the explosives used in Wednesday’s serial blasts in Mumbai, but any recording of progress stops there.

Of course, the reconstruction of processes that lead to such horrific events is a difficult task. In this case, the analysis of CCTV footage is still being done, but so far there appear to be no clues.

The chemicals put together to make up the bombs are commonplace enough, and are known to have been used by terrorists around the world, including by Indian Mujahideen, an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, some of whose members are in jail for their involvement in earlier attacks.

The use of these particular chemicals cannot be the “signature” of a particular group. Some imprisoned IM members are being questioned. The outcome of these interrogations is not known, which could mean nothing of value has turned up yet.

Based on what is known, it is not premature to suggest that the gathering of human intelligence by the Mumbai police leaves much to be desired. (And this is an affliction of police forces across the country.)

This does not necessarily point to deficiencies of individual beat constables, but to the systemic downgrading of the importance that used to be traditionally attached to the work of the man on the beat who kept his ears to the ground and developed reliable contacts with the communities in whose areas he operated.

Distinguished retired policeman Julio Ribeiro has underlined in an interview the significance of beat work. It is indeed appropriate to say that the constable on the beat is our first line of defence, regardless of the crime we are talking about. Well-oiled community contacts often lead to the unearthing of suspicious activities or those aiming to perpetrate them.

So even as we work to trace those behind the recent blasts, the state government must resolve to return the work of the man on the police beat to its previous place — as the core of policing. Technology, gadgetry, new weapons and vehicles, computerised real-time information that help to track the movements of criminals and terrorists are exceedingly important.

But they wither on the vine in the absence of right inputs which often come from the humble beat constable.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr Prithviraj Chavan’s comments can only lead to the inference that the authorities turned over and went back to sleep after the horror of 26/11. Some new equipment was ordered, and that was about all. The CM has said, for instance, that the CCTV cameras that were purchased in bulk are still to be installed.

He also noted that for 15 minutes after the blasts he was unable to contact any top police officer for the telecommunications equipment in use failed to connect. Presumably the entire law and order machinery suffered the same experience.

Even sub-Saharan gangsters are better placed to deal with an emergency. Some satellite phones are apparently now being ordered. But this is pretty basic stuff, routinely used even by journalists in some situations. A news photo suggests that smart sea-boats, equipped with bulletproof windows and the like, bought after 26/11 to give chase to invaders who come by the sea, are lying in disuse and disrepair for want of resources to run them and to train the police in their use.

What really is up with the Mumbai police? It is meant to stay one step ahead of the bad guys. But there is a further question: What really is up with the Union home ministry?

Even after 26/11, does it not keep a tab on all states to check their alertness for anti-terrorism operations?