What monsoon means to an Indian..

Monsoon for the year 2007 arrived without much delay and brought a much awaited relief for people for different reasons. The coming of monsoon could be compared to a rainbow which has so many colours, each adding to the beauty of the rainbow!

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The South of India experiences relief from the heat as it gets draped in dark grey clouds of rain clouds as monsoon slowly spreads across the country. It starts with Kerala- God’s own country which gets drenched and appears as if the entire state is draped in a blanket of green ! Soon the other states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamilnadu too get their share as the clouds proceed to the Central and North of India.

After the sweltering heat which beats the plains of North India and takes the mercury to unthinkable proportions, the rains bring with them a fresh lease of life and renewed vigour. The farmers in the Ganga basin of the north till their lands and wait for the rains to water their crops. And their prayers are answered when moisture laden clouds thunder and quell the thrist of parched lands. This year too the rain gods were merciful and the rains arrived in good time- an answer to countless prayers!

Just as the monsoon trigger a fresh lease of life making things verdant around us, it also infuses a certain mood which sets the stage for couples to express their love! Many couples find it to be the season for romance and expression of their affection and love. The clove scented air, overcast skies, slight drizzle and wafts of cool breeze serve as a catalyst in the reaction of romance!

But just as one thinks of the brighter side of the picture, one cannot ignore the havoc it unleashes. One cannot just play with the elements and this is proved true when one sees the havoc monsoons cause in the form of floods and excessive rains. Several villages are washed away and numerous parts of various cities get submerged in rain water. Potholes in roads, open drains and water logged streets add to the miseries of the people. Although just as an evolving DNA strand, people too slowly evolve and adpat to the changing scenario by taking the respective precautionary measures as the Monsoons come by!

In the recent past, the deluge witnessed by Mumbai and inundation of several parts of Gujarat and West Bengal bring sad and disappointing images to one and all. Erratic rains and their varying volumes have begun to become a certain cause for worry. After all, people knew the severity of Mumbai rains in the past but the intensity on that fateful day a couple of years back beat all the records of the past.

This year itself the city has seen some heavy downpour which has resulted in waterlogging in many parts of the city like Chembur and floods in several parts of the state like Amaravathi and Sangli. We need to realize that every act of development has an equal and opposite reaction and maybe the erratic and heavy rains in certain parts of the country is an indication of this ‘fact’.

All said about the monsoon, it would be fair to say that the it has its dark and the bright sides. For India, the monsoon is like an elixir on which clings many things like agriculture and several secondary industries. With it is attached the livelihood, fortunes and lives of countless people from different walks of life.

Hoping that the global growth’s impact on climatic decadence slows down, lets’ say a silent prayer and hope that the monsoon arrives the next year in the same manner as its predescessors and bring with it a fresh wave of hope and promise!