Time to Save the Aravalis

The Aravali Hills is one of the oldest mountain ranges in India. This mountain range in Haryana is facing rampant ecological degradation because of illegal mining. In May this year the Supreme Court of India extended the ban on mining over a large area of the Aravali Hills in the Gurgaon, Faridabad and Mewat districts of Haryana. This is keeping in view the serious ecological degradation in this area.

The Supreme Court’s order had banned mining in the areas around Delhi and the Aravalis because of the threat to the ecological balance and pollution. Construction activities have increased in Delhi and surrounding areas for the coming 2010 Commonwealth Games for which demand for stones and other materials has gone up. This has led to more mining in the Aravalis.

Large scale mining has left the state of Haryana with many lakes going dry and the water level depleted. Many famous lakes like the Badkal, Damdama and Dhauj were once prominent tourist spots, but now they have dried up and nobody goes there. The water table has fallen to such a level that a drought-like situation can arise. There has been acute water shortage and the people are the sufferers. With water resources drying up the green belt is, moreover, being converted into virtual deserts.

Time to rethink about the Aravalis, with destruction this mountain range will be read only in books. Stringent steps have to be taken to save the Aravalis from disappearing. With them water table too will go leaving behind a dry land not favourable for habitation.

Many believe due to political patronage from the state and central government, mining in the Aravalis has been going on.

Time to work out to save this mountain range called the Aravalis.

“BETTER LATE THAN NEVER”, isn’t it?

Delhi Heat and Humidity

The first week of July has gone but for Delhi it is still the hot summer days the people of this city are facing. Reeling under heat and humidity, the city’s demand for electricity is demanding. The maximum temperature at this time is above 40 degrees and the minimum crossing the 30 plus mark. There was fluctuation in the humidity level, moving between 70% and 42%. The high humidity level is making life so difficult with a feeling that the temperature is more than recorded by the Met office.

The Met department does not stop with their babble of the monsoon. They make predictions about the coming rains but their words end up with a blank. People’s faith has now revolved on God to whom they pray if not openly but in their hearts for the rains to come and cool this burning earth.

Without the rains and the rising heat and humidity, Delhi’s electricity demand has gone up. If we are to go by information, electricity consumption in this city on Wednesday was 4,408MW, something that Delhi is seeing for the first time. And why not, the air conditioners are running round the clock as most households use AC’s to get respite from the heat. The air coolers are non-effective due to the humidity.

The worse part is some parts of the city is facing power cuts and anger rising. There is no fixed time for power cuts, it may just vanish at any time of the day or night leaving the consumers facing heat and sweat with anger.

Now the only thing that remains is a prayer to the rain God to come and bless all with His downpour.