Life has a way of testing us with unexpected turns, heavy burdens and challenges. Rain can feel heavy, unpredictable and unrelenting just like life’s challenges. But survival is not just about enduring. It is about learning to move through the storm , finding shelter in resilience and embracing the renewal that follows. Kodagu is known as the ” Scotland of India “. It shines with lush green vegetation, numerous waterfalls and rich culture. However during the rainy season the lack of basic necessities in the villages comes to the fore. Kodagu records highest Rain in recorded history in the month of May .With the early onset of monsoon heavy rains and strong winds lash kodagu. Many villages lack electricity, road connectivity, and even the link Bridge connecting them to town is inundated. Surprisingly, even after many decades of Independence, there are such villages in the state, especially in the tourist Hotspot of kodagu, which lack the most basic necessities. Many villages have no road connectivity to the nearest town . Every rainfall disrupts their peace. Agony takes over as a flow of the river cauvery is alarming.
The challenge of extreme weather are not something we can leave behind with the past year. As we continue to experience the early monsoon we must be prepared for increasingly wet conditions. The heavy rainfall and flood that affected kodagu remind us that our climate is becoming more unpredictable, with extreme weather events likely to grow more frequent and intense.
The picture of the homeless people at the river side sheds light on the daily struggles faced by the residents due to inadequate infrastructure. Residents struggle to live every single day during monsoon season, highlighting the need for better infrastructure. Poorly constructed houses are vulnerable to natural disasters . As a result residents face the constant threat destruction to their homes.
Heavy rains and flooding exacerbate the challenges, making it essential to develop infrastructure that can withstand the natural disaster. Even monsoon in kodagu causes significant destruction in its wake. The intense winds and heavy rainfall resulting in the collapse of many houses across the district, displacing numerous families creates an urgent need for assistance. This leads widespread of panic as people struggle for safety. Many houses are severely damaged ,with roofs torn off the walls collapsing under the force of the wind. Every rains can turn whole areas into water landscapes. Streets become canals and towns seem to rise from the water. People living in these flooded areas have learned over centuries to adapt, changing their homes and routines to live with these weather challenges. It has become part of an ancient art of living. They have braved downpour, slippery roads and the risk of landslides which include flooding in low lying areas, landslides in hilly regions, disruptions to transportation in daily life.
Building Bridges or implementing safe crossing mechanisms could alleviate the struggles faced by most of the residents in the remote villages in kodagu.
Implementing measures to control flooding, such as embankments or flood – resistant infrastructure, could reduce the risks associated with the river.
Community support Initiatives that provide support to residents, such as emergency services or Community- based programs , could help mitigate the challenges to some extent.
Since many years we have been witnessing land subsidence, submerging, losing lives ,property destroyed. Many farmers lost everything. Was anything left behind? Yes! A very good lesson for life. The rain and no one is powerful before nature, so limit your greed. Whatever you gave, I will pay back. Did we learn from our past. No, we simply let our greedy and Mindless need for development. The disaster which have been occurring Since many years has had an impact on all of us, but who is to blame for the atrocities development. Our elders, the Government, the inhabitants or a new case that’s tourism? Our soil has given up on us ,there is no trees to hold them, our rivers spurt out their rage in reflection to our wrong doings, land masses slide of withnhomes. Government cut Trees in the forests, allows timber smuggling. They change laws to make it easier to cut more varieties of trees. They give permission to build houses in places where they should not be built. They allowed 54,000 trees to put high tension power line to kerala which is of no benifit to us. They want two railway tracks and six highway to promote tourism and business in a river. Lessons not learnt yet. Did we??.
Surviving the rain is finding strength in life’s storms!. Isn’t it?
KODANDERA MAMATHA SUBBAIAH.
