For the sake of tanks

The arrival of monsoons means common stagnation of rain water in residential areas for a number of cities in India. Even a small bathe results in water logging in large cities like Mumbai. It disrupts the routines of individuals. The wet season, which is historically purported to carry a variety of pleasure and merriment to widespread individuals, turns into a supply of apprehension and nervousness to many individuals. It is because our civil engineers or metropolis planners have ignored the need of conserving the trail of regular stream of water clear.

A preferred Rajasthani proverb says that fireside, water, snakes and rulers seldom compromise with their tendencies. Water tends to stream in direction of a decrease aircraft. Our ancestors knew this and have been ready. They tackled flooding with two methods. Both the floor run-off was saved in synthetic water our bodies for future use or the trail of stream of water was stored unobstructed.

Take the case of Kota metropolis of Rajasthan. Kota is extensively identified for the fabulous success of its teaching institutes in entrance examinations to top-ranking engineering and medical institutes of the nation. Geographically, Kota is located on the bottom a part of the plateau of Hadouti. Each time it rained on the higher a part of the plateau, run-off would stream down, in accordance with gravity. Now and again, this stream brought about a flood-like state of affairs within the decrease area. Prince Dheerdeo of Bundi studied the issue and constructed 13 large tanks at totally different ranges of the plateau.

Kota was then part of the princely state of Bundi. These tanks have been constructed within the path of the stream of rain water. They not solely held the drive of water working in direction of decrease half but in addition performed an important function in growing the underground water degree of the realm. One of the vital necessary use of those tanks was it they grew to become a major supply of water for widespread people.

However when the lust for the land elevated, most of those tanks have been both encroached or inundated for various constructions on the identify of growth. If the land of 1 pond was used for the development of suburban railway station, one other pond was stuffed with filth to assemble a bazaar. Land of pond was encroached to develop an unlawful colony by land mafia. By the point, these tanks have been ruined the density of inhabitants in Kota metropolis was encroached by a number of folds. Now and again, flood like state of affairs began arising in several colonies attributable to sudden inflow of water. Technically, flood is the state of affairs when water degree will increase in rivers and that enters into close by residential areas. However the ‘sort of flood’ which cities like Kota have been dealing with was not due to rise in water degree, but it surely was attributable to stream of wet water on its pure path. Then a diversion channel was constructed to hold the wet water instantly into river Chambal.

Instance of Mumbai additionally narrates the identical story. Few cities boast of pure variety as wealthy as Mumbai. Metropolis has 5 rivers or rivulets – Dahisar, Poisar, Oshiwara and Meethi. As a substitute of channels for extra rainwater, they’re now stinking, garbage-lined, slime stuffed sewers. Generations of Mumbaikars do not even know them as rivers; all they see is smelly ‘nullahs’ that flood within the monsoon. The pure path of stream of those rivers is overpowered by the residential or business buildings and that is the explanation that even a bit further inflow of water in these areas creates flood like state of affairs in a number of elements of Mumbai. A couple of years in the past, Chennai additionally confronted a flood because of the similar motive.

One can discover the same state of affairs at each a part of the nation. We used to supply our reverence to rivers and rivulets by giving them epithet of Mom. However by no means hesitate in throwing filth and filth in river water. Our ancestors have been sensible sufficient to grasp the significance of water our bodies in a residential space and to appreciate the need of leaving the trail of pure water stream free from all encroachments. Sarcastically, to remain within the blind race of recent growth, our metropolis planners ignored it and this carelessness transformed the enjoyment of monsoon merriment right into a curse for many of cities. Will our coverage makers pay a bit consideration in direction of it?

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