The rain and the subsequent floods, which have turned life upside down in Kerala and showing their impact in Tamilnadu and Karnataka as well, have taught a lesson in an implicit yet hard way – nature will give back whatever you give to it. For decades now, trees were being axed, landscapes were being altered, waterbodies were being encroached and earth was being dug up – in the name of development.
After bearing all the brunt from its children, Mother Nature has apparently arrived at a conclusion ‘enough is enough’ and has sounded an alarm bell, in a rather ominous way. People and rulers should wake up at least now to avoid further consequences. If this is the fate of Kerala, a State which was known for living in sync with nature, imagine the plight of States like Tamilnadu where ‘developments’ were taking place at a rapid pace, if a natural disaster strikes.
It is obvious that we had failed to learn our lessons from the 2015 floods and the 2016 Vardah cyclone. But better late than never. At least now, we should view the Kerala floods as a wake-up call and take necessary measures to make TN disaster-proof. All it needs is some solid steps with a strong resolve. Without doing this, it would be so wrong on our part to call the floods and rains as natural disasters. For, they are just the reflection of man-made mayhem.