Flood

The weather is playing spoilsport down in Kerala. I never thought I would live to see my state flooding up with rainwater. I remember during my childhood, every few months there would be news about a different state in the country going through flood or drought. It was a good way to learn state names. There would be a drought in Gujarath. And then flood in Bihar. Or an earthquake in the hills. And though my state used to get a lot of rain, there was never a news report of flooding. Sometimes the sea would turn fierce, destroying coastal lines. But due to a network of westward flowing rivers and streams, all the water in the state would end up in the sea.

Going to school in the monsoon was simultaneously the most fun and problematic part of growing up. The problem was of course that the incessant rain had other side effects: frequent powercuts. Wet clothes, taking forever to dry. The whole house smelt of we socks. Ditto in school. The school would ask us to 'kindly wear sandals' to school, jus to get rid of the awful smell. Biggest problem of course we used to fall sick all the time. It would start with cold and cough, but I have been admitted in the hospital due to water-borne illnesses as well. Sick days meant missed classes. Meant exam pressure...

But the fun part was the rain itself. It was wet and green everywhere. Rare sights and sounds. Of frogs, crickets, confused birds. Oh what fun it was to eat piping hot pakodas , watching the rain from the balcony.

But the situation is now drastically changing. Now the rains are so bad, it is flooding up entire cities. Already more than thirty people have lost their lives due to monsoon-rains. Rampant infrastructure development has lead to traffic jammed roads and blocked drains. There are news of evacuation centres being setup to move people in masses.

Really cannot believe this is the same place I grew up in.

Its almost as if drought and floods are signs of development. When cities are built around cars and houses, it is the people who are left out. And now there are new kinds of illnesses doing the rounds.

The only surety is, things are only going downhill from here. Pardon the pun.