It had been a harrowing experience
Grass showing patches of brown
Young leaves just seeing light of day
Soft luscious and green for only days
But curled up under the onslaught
And eventually shriveled
As a consequence the next season’s
mango fruiting and most of others
will be adversely affected
Such had been the severity of the
dry season this time around
The lakes what about the lakes
at the dam? The catchment areas upriver
They were all in a strangle-hold
Deprived of rain water
the flow was slow
Water level was critical
The bad word of the industry
was then bandied about
Rationing, water rationing debated
It finally did come the first time in
living memory in our region
Finger pointing and severe arguments
ensued no less in the social media
The opposition-led state government
for the last two terms had been
forewarned about five years ago
It was embroiled in a dispute of not
wanting to continue an ongoing
project of the previous government
It was about the transferring of flow
from fast flowing rivers of an adjoining
state to a purification complex under construction
It would have ensured abundant
supply of untreated fresh water
City folks with buckets trudging up flight
of stairs carrying water provided for
from water-laden lorries
A rare sight but was happening
Restaurants complaining of shortage
public utilities dirtied
A rare sight but was happening
Restaurants complaining of shortage
public utilities dirtied
It was hellish for about two weeks
There was talk of food related factories
even considering to
close shop and
shift operations to Vietnam
As a temporary measure the Central
Government embarked on a run of
cloud-seeding procedure
C130 Charlies were deployed
on those rare dark cloudy days
It succeeded in a respite
Not fully but just
There was rain but just
Then there was a change for the better
The weather was cooperating
The season’s rain came
The water levels at the dams and lakes
improved and water rationing
was discontinued
More good news!
The project that was abandoned by
The state government was revived
despite disagreements among their lot
No more bucket carrying even the
car washing business picked up
Just a little bit of cloud-seeding
was the savior!
Note: This is a true episode of a recent happening!
For Shanyn's hosting at d"Verse - seeding
oh heck... i'm glad the rain came finally.. i think that water will be the new oil... in some countries there's already severe shortage - in others like germany not yet - though we had one year in a very hot and dry summer when even here the water was short and car washing etc. prohibited
ReplyDeleteThe industries are fastly eating forest cover, its high time they do a reassessment.
ReplyDeleteHank, this read like Orwell, or maybe Robert Benchley, but the fact that it actually happened. Man, your government is as daft as ours, ha ha ha. Isn't it odd how the weather, which is indeed subject to all sorts of effects - most notably, climate change all over the world - ease up when a little rain falls... or a little light is shed on the situation? GREAT work. Amelita
ReplyDeleteWhat the government almost messed up, nature provided the real answer.
ReplyDeleteThis is a sad state of affairs.. In many places it will be repeated over and over again - but keeping the consumption down even at good times - there we lack the incentive...
ReplyDeleteOh, Hank, this sounds like a very trying time. Really points out how difficult it is to live without rain. So glad that the cloud seeding did help, and that eventually rationing was discontinued and the water level in lakes and dams improved.
ReplyDeletei wonder if we wont see more and more of this in the coming future...we have mucked enough with the environment...and now have to muck all the more to get it to rain...without rain we are without water which gives us all life....
ReplyDeleteHank,
ReplyDeleteA scary time, when nature has been impacted by the work of man. Too much rain, or never enough...Nature paying the price as always.
Eileen
I bet more of it will come in many places as we keep screwing with nature, Canada has a ton of water thankfully
ReplyDeleteEpic and specific poem, and therefore universal. We shall pray for rain where needed and sun where needed. I hope Canada and the USA can keep their friendship when the need makes the USA envy Canada's resources!
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for that cloud seeding ~ We don't have problems with rain over here ~ Its a nightmare when rains don't come and everything had to be rationed ~
ReplyDeleteCloud seeding - :-) Thank for sharing this, a great write and for it to be a true story seeds so much more.
ReplyDeleteeveryone wants their water....
ReplyDeleteThe environment is ruined more with each passing day. Soon droughts will be more common than not
ReplyDeleteIf we think about what we have been doing with mother nature......there are just dark and scary days ahead....may god give us better hearts to think and act...
ReplyDeletenice take on the prompt... i was sitting on the end of my seat until the end... here in the midwest US we often forget the blessing of rain
ReplyDelete