Kerala Needs You Now

Kerala, the Southern state of India needs your help.

What you see below is a photo taken by me during the floods of Kerala in the year 2013 from the top of the apartments where I lived. But when we consider the situation right now, this doesn’t even come close to being called a flood – this time, water got into most of the areas near Periyar and other water bodies close to Aluva. During those times, Aluva suffered. But these times are different, because it was not restricted to any place. The riverside was no longer the problem. The beautiful town of Aluva suffered the most, with so many parts of Kerala, with no place really considered safe. It became the case of a state suffering without any place or any person spared.

We witness what is happening this year, 2018, a photo taken by one of the residents at the apartments (I don’t live there now). We are looking at the other side of the apartment, which is an elevated area with height a lot more than what is seen on the first picture – it is a place where the water from the river has never entered in history. A few days ago, the water reached this point, and it was still rising. An image with the River Periyar at its strongest point is not available to me, but from what I figured out from the talks, it has reached higher to go through not just the ground floor, but also the first and second floors. From here, water seems to go on to reach the rest of the water-logged areas of Aluva, leaving not much of the ground visible. The main part of the town itself has water coming up at dangerous levels, with boats needed to travel through its major areas. It was one of the most beautiful towns as shown in the movie Premam, and it is in big trouble.

We live at Perumbavoor, a town about 15 kilometres from Aluva, and even as most of the town is doing comparatively better due to its main area at higher grounds (there are low-lying areas of the town which is in trouble), it is currently surrounded by water on most sides, with traffic non-existent on almost all major roads, all water-logged. The road between Aluva and Perumbavoor has been affected for days, and same is the case with the roads to other major towns nearby. Its nearby towns Kalady, Muvattupuzha & Kothamangalam, all suffered, and these are just a few towns in Ernakulam district among those large number of towns and villages which are suffering from continuous rain and shutters of dams being opened. From Trivandrum and Kollam to Kannur and Kasargode, all districts have been in trouble, with no idea where the water will rise and bring death. There are clear photos of terror being shown in the news channels, and the situation at some areas are much worse. There is no chance to go to the friends’ or relatives’ place because you don’t know where is safe! Even the Cochin Airport is closed with operations expected to begin again on a date about which we can’t be that sure. This is where we stay at home and hope.

Almost every place in Kerala is affected directly or indirectly, which is why we need the help of each and everyone in India and outside the nation. All kind of help matters, not just in the form of money. It will take a long time for Kerala to return to normal, and for the same, a lot of help is needed. All Vodafone services at my place is down as of now, and Airtel service was back just yesterday. Most people don’t have access to mobile services or internet, and electricity, food, clean water – all are in shortage. People are caught in isolated areas with much more needed to be done. So many people are living in relief camps after leaving all their possessions behind, and the college where I studied is one of them, and my school in another. More people are being evacuated from their homes as rains haven’t stopped and flood waters continue to cause terror. Even after the waters are gone, there can be diseases, reptiles, broken roads and all kinds of scarcity. We need you. Please help Kerala, for it is water everywhere, with none to drink!

Please help and contribute to the relief efforts by donating to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) ad help Kerala get back to its feet:

The details given at CMO’s Offical Facebook Page is shared below.

Please visit the website below for further details and to contribute in one way or the other.

https://keralarescue.in/

This is the donation portal of the Government of Kerala:

https://donation.cmdrf.kerala.gov.in/

TeNy

Advertisement

Water: Of Eternal Significance

Water has made sure that life thrived in the least expected places, and it has contributed to the growth of civilizations in the past. The greatest civilizations and empires began on the banks of one river or the other. Water has been the one thing which made sure that life became better. We have learned about how significant the rivers of Indus, Nile, Tiber, Huang He, Tigris and Euphrates have been in the history of civilizations and empires. Even those towns and cities on the banks of rivers developed quicker while the others could only follow as fast as they could. There is the tale of Hagar who found water in the desert, and there was hope against despair in wilderness, after which a great nation was born of him.

Well, water was available more during the last century, as we look back to our childhood. The temperature was also lower at those times, and our rivers carried more water, never really becoming so dry as we see them now. During those days, water was taken for granted. When it is all around you and freely available, you don’t think about it. Even if it is not that clean, you will feel that it is enough. Then, demanding to save water would have felt like a strange demand, especially in Kerala which always had a wide network of rivers and plenty of rainfall. At that period of time, it was like, have enough water, and get on with life. But it is not so any more.

The beauty of the waterworld of Kerala is no surprise to travelers.

The total amount of rainfall has decreased, and the climate has become rather unpredictable. During these times, especially during these months of high temperature, situation is only getting worse. We are used to having enough water every year, and therefore, we are not thinking much about it, even when we see the signs. But it is already late, and it is up to us to do something about it. We can do what we can, in our own small ways, and the preservation of water would depend on what each of us can contribute in whichever ways possible. As we hear that the next wars would be fought in the name of water, let us do something for our future generation to have better life.

There are a few simple things that we can do. They begin at home, from using the shower only according to the need, to making sure that there is no water leakage. There will be opportunities to close an open tap at different places. We just shouldn’t use water when there is no need. We can make sure that a few drops of water doesn’t keep coming down from a tap which is not completely closed. We don’t need to keep a tap open, and there is no need to care so much about the cleanliness of a car or bike during this very hot summer season. If there are things that we can avoid, and are not necessity, we can keep them to be done at a time when the monsoon are here, and the showers are strong.

So, can we make sure that the beauty of waterworld stay?

As most of you might have already though about, the future is in our hands, and the Earth itself depends on us, as a thinking sentient life form who can make a difference. Water is more of less the elixir of life and the fountain of youth, which will keep the humans as well as the other life forms go on strong. Some of us might still think that there will be enough what for the next few generations, and a high level scarcity of the liquid will not happen during the time of their children or grand children – but they are wrong. The environment itself keeps proving us wrong, and with deforestation and other crimes against nature, an extinction event itself is not that far away.

There are two options with dealing with this water scarcity leading to a possible third world war for water followed by human extinction. The first option is to get on with our lives as if nothing is going to happen because droughts are normal and has happened through centuries – there is nothing new that needs our attention. The second option is to think deeply about this problem of water shortage, and decide that you need to make a move; you have to make stand to save water. Beginning from home, extending to your village, town or city and then further, it is your stance that matter, for it becomes your duty to protect the special resource of water – save water or the next generation will find you responsible for their plight.

Think about the people who are struggling to find a source of clean water. The news about water scarcity in Vypin and other islands of Cochin reminds us about the same; it has been a problem which has been going on for years. There are people who need water right between us. We just need to open our eyes and have a look. It is the sight that the movie Paippin Chuvattile Pranayam reminded us about, last year. We see them, and we know how important water is, and how much need is there to preserve it. The water that we use more than we need is a clear case of wastage, and let us not fall into doing such evil. Let us remember that we have the responsibility, not just to our people, but also to a better future. It calls for #CuttingPaani.

I have signed Livpure’s #CuttingPaani petition at https://www.change.org/p/cuttingpaani. Please choose to sign the petition, save water, and save our world for the future!

TeNy

Perumbavoor’s Own Poru

You know how much nature and its beauty means to us these days. It is more than what it used to be, as despite Kerala having so much of greenery, we are having more and more of the concrete jungles every day, making life further difficult. It is where Paniyeli Poru comes to the picture again. It is a place about which I had written earlier, and as a place close to home, it has been easier to visit. The same meant that there was to be another visit to follow, and here it is. I am sharing a few pictures of the latest visit, and I am sure that you are all familiar with the place if you have been following this blog. The closest town is Perumbavoor, followed by Kothamangalam and then Muvattupuzha, it is also costing only a short drive from the Cochin International Airport. Vengoor and Kodanad are nearby villages where you can stop for a cup of tea. You can also combine the deer park at Abhayaranyam, elephant training centre at Kodanad, the birthplace of Sri Adi Shankara at Kalady and the International pilgrim centre at Malayattoor with this journey. Ernakulam district does have a lot more than it seems.

***All the photos shared here were taken by me on my Asus Zenfone 5, during my journeys. For the best among divergent horror movies, read about The Autopsy of Jane Doe.

TeNy

River Through Camera II

I had posted a few photos of Periyar’s “Aluva puzha” side which you had witnessed in a better way in the blockbuster Premam with all its beauty from the movie makers. Here are a few more photos to go with it. All these were taken by me on my camera and mobile. These will show the beautiful side of the river which blesses the town of Aluva or Alwaye once again. I hope that these will make you fall in love with the beauty of nature again.

But there were occasions when the river was not that kind; this one happened in the year 2013. The truth is that we are never prepared for situations like floods.

TeNy

Exploring the Elements

This writing is part of the Explore The Elements Photo Contest which was announced by Thomas Cook. Here I explore and represent the four elements of nature with the help of the photos which I have taken using my Sony Cybershot DSC W-310. You can check here for more details about the contest: http://www.thomascook.com/blog/holiday-competitions-deals/explore-the-elements/ #ExploreTheElements

1. Earth: As it is said and known, “for dust thou art, and to dust shalt thou return” is what the following scene reminds us about claiming our place back under the Earth and hope for a better time at the other world. There is stubbornness in this idea of truth, and the certainty of this return to the dust and dirt is as clear as the presence of these things on the surface of the Earth. The problem with humanity is its consistent loss of memory about this, and their pursuit of Carpe Diem. The photo was taken at a church cemetery around the city of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England.

It is right into the insides of Earth that we have to return, for we are dust.

2. Water: You can see how well water could adapt and as much as it can become the life saver, it can be the destroyer. The unbelievable amount of suppleness can be attributed to this element which is a powerful force of nature which can make impact in its presence as well as the absence. The photo shows the brutal strength that the element of water came up with, during the monsoon rain of 2013 (there were worse situations during that period at the banks of the river Periyar) at the town of Aluva, near Cochin, Kerala, India.

Water as an element has its power to take over whenever it wishes to.

3. Fire: The element of fire always burns, either in the minds of the people or on the far away horizons, as the globe of fire reflects our motivation and desire, becoming the silent watcher of the human hatred for the other people of their kind. The energy of fire is something that we can take into our lives, without the negative sides, choosing not to burn the people around us with hatred based on religion, caste or race. There is the need for fire in our lives. The photo was taken at Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India.

The beauty of fire on the sky can’t be ignored by the eyes or any camera.

4. Air: There is freedom associated with air, something which is not easy in this world. We, human beings are bound by strange things and weird laws being passed, some of them making just the religion more important than humanity, and a few other making a few animals more significant that human beings. We should have chosen to air in this life, so free and with all the wisdom that is gained by traveling over long distances. In the photo, you can see how the vegetation bows down in reverence to the strength and wisdom of the element of air – photo taken at Ilaveezhapoonjira, Kerala, India.

When the element of air travel around freely with wisdom, take a bow.

There is only the human nature which is as unpredictable as the elements of nature, with compassion on one side and the tendency to be devastating with a certain amount of inherent evil which comes up here and there. There is something about the use of the word “nature” at both places. I hope you found the four photos of the elements of nature interesting – they have all been cropped and adjusted to a standard size so that there wouldn’t be any confusion. They were all taken by me only on my camera, Sony Cybershot DSC-W310..

Here, I nominate five other bloggers to participate in this contest:
Anita (http://www.anitaexplorer.com)
Maniparna (http://maniparna5002.wordpress.com)
Namrata (http://namratakumari.blogspot.in)
Shibu (http://shibumathewn15.wordpress.com)
Tara (http://crimsonapril.wordpress.com)

TeNy