- Reams and reams have been written about the impending monsoon season, which not only brings much-needed relief from the scorching summer months but also provides enough grist for the romantics at heart to sing peans about Mother Nature’s welcome vagaries in all their splendor. Of course, monsoon rains are necessary to ensure that humankind survives, because water is essential for everything. There is simply no way for humanity to continue to exist without water. You see, our entire existence is entirely dependent on the most precious element. Every living being requires something to stay alive, and as such, every grain grown must be supplemented by adequate water in the first place.
PC: Salini Vineeth
- Thus, agriculture is regarded as an unavoidable part of human existence, and farmers who produce life-sustaining yields are regarded as gods in another form. Nobody can deny this fact. Despite the modern world experiencing unprecedented growth as a result of mind-boggling technological advancements, one thing that hasn’t changed much is the primacy accorded to the agriculture-based sector, which still relies heavily on monsoon rains. Yes, water conservation efforts using field innovations may have contributed to the prudent use of precious resources for irrigation-based Agri-developments. However, the reliance on monsoon water has not diminished in the least.
- As you are aware, rural areas significantly contribute to Agri products because the farming community requires vast swaths of land for cultivation. Yes, we have advanced irrigation techniques that help modern farmers not only use water in the most appropriate ways but also reuse it for the needs of the day. When the monsoon arrives, people living in cities face a completely different set of challenges. Over millennia, there has been a consistent exodus from rural to urban areas. However, the question here is whether urban administration has prepared itself to meet the demands imposed by monsoon vagaries. Regrettably, the answer is no.
PC: PTI
- Year after year, the administration promises to be adequately prepared to meet the demands of the rain havoc that usually cripples urban dwellings to no end. Flooding, inundation, rain-caused blockages, and marooning incidents are commonplace in cities when it rains. Even short bursts are sufficient to bring cities to a halt. Ask any common citizen who calls one of the world’s largest cities home how it feels to endure rain when the necessities begin to creak, unable to withstand the rain’s fury. As is customary, the government of the day promises that the issues will be addressed satisfactorily, but what occurs is complete misery for all of us. Yes, welcome to the monsoon rains! But not misery!
