WATER GOES IN SEARCH OF PLANTS
Dr. D. N. Mohanty
There is an Odia saying “Jebay Barasai Maghara Sesh Dhanya Se Raja Dhanya Se Desh”. It means kudos to the king and country where it rains in February. We no longer find this phenomenon happening. We do not enjoy spring any more. There is no interlude of spring and summer suddenly sets in. There is another Odia saying “Eka Maghare Shita Jayenahin”. With climate change this too is proven wrong. Pertinently water is at the centre stage of climate change which has overtaken us and become a world event across many parts of the globe. Worried over it leaders of developed and developing countries signed Paris Accord in 2016 to reduce carbon emission including India except Nicaragua. China pledged its support saying “The agreement sends out a clear signal that all countries should change their development model and people should their change their lifestyle”. Later the US withdrew from Paris accord under President Trump administration. Thankfully US administration now under President Joe Biden will rejoin.
Climate change, world over, has occurred primarily through the changes in water cycle bringing concurrently or at some other stages drought, floods, rise in sea level, melting glaciers, storms, sometimes with severe consequences. Recent happening in Uttarakhand where sudden avalanche of glaciers and flooding killed several hundred people is a manifest of climate change. Undoubtedly there is a relationship between water security and conflict with nature. In face of such disastrous consequences are we really serious about climate change in Odisha – a state devastated by natural calamities almost every year which environmentalists say is due to climate change? Odisha has witnessed rise in sea level, harsh summer and winter, excessive rain or too little of it, perennial drought in some of the districts – all of them could be ascribed to climate change. There is more to come in the delta basin of river Mahanadi in the coming summer with the flow drying up due to damming of water in the catchment area in Chhatisgarh. Adding to the woes, there was a prediction that mercury would touch 40C by 1st March this year in Bhubaneswar. In fact it has really happened. Weather men say it was due to want of water vapour and high pressure zone in the atmosphere.
It is known that trees release moisture into air besides purifying it. They absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, a cause for high atmospheric temperature and pollution, and store it in their trunk. Despite this beneficence of trees, there are reports of large scale clearing of forests for mining, industrial activity and felling of thousands of trees for widening of highways and city roads and housing etc. Realtors and developers have converted farm lands into homestead land for construction of multi-storied apartments near the cities without any plantation around such structures. How many of them have planted trees before high rise buildings came up? How could emissions from each household be negated naturally without trees? Most urbanites are seldom concerned about it. While the realtors are the beneficiary, the environment is the real loser in the game. This has been catastrophic. Further large industrial farming (intensive dairy activities) is likely to increase methane in air in the coming years with National Livestock Development policy in place.
Cities in Odisha have Development Authorities to oversee well planned urban development. Are the Development Authorities and Pollution Control Boards, as watch wards, conscious to ensure clean air – a minimum human right? Reports say 7 (seven) urban areas in Odisha are either on the threshold of risky air quality index (AQI) or have crossed it. Very recently Pollution Board resorted to stringent measures to secure air quality in Rourkella city. When we reminisce the past, long rows of trees on both sides of National Highway No. 16 and other Highways used to catch our eyes. Now virtually no trees are found alongside these highways. Compensatory plantation remains in official books with hollow slogans on the roadside hoardings. The present generation of youths won’t know or appreciate the harm done or be worried for their future wellness. It is for them to conserve, preserve and secure the nature for all.
Water sustains life and is nectar for all living creatures on Good Earth. It is the trees and forests that help bring rain to flush everything around to keep us cool. May be our soul too is cleansed, according to Hindu belief, when we take a holy dip. There is no rain in the deserts as no trees exist. Incidentally all deserts and drought prone areas lie in western part of a country or a state. Rajsthan, Raileseema in Telangana and some of the western districts of Odisha are examples To highlight and valuing water, World Water Day – an annual UN observance day – is observed in March – the beginning of summer in India. World Water Day, held on March 22nd every year since 1993, raises awareness for people living without access to safe water worldwide. It further advocates for sustainable management of fresh water resources relevant to clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) which is in conformity with the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 6 of the UN. Pertinently in 2017, 2.2 billion people lacked safely managed drinking water and 4.2 billion safely managed sanitation. Similarly 3 billion people did not have hand-washing facilities at home.
In a developing country like India, especially in the backward regions the condition of people is unimaginable in summer months when water scarcity is profound. A harsh reality of drinking water shortage in the district town of Chhatrapur (Odisha) came to light where people of Ward No. 3 had to resort to lottery to get a bucketful of water. A resurge of COVID -19 pandemic, necessitating more water use, may worsen the situation. Governments and people are panicky. The pandemic which has shown signs of resurgence in many states. The reasons may be due to mutation of Coronavirus and new variants thrown up in the process. It is a poser for the epidemiologists to forecast the course of the pandemic. The postulations and actualities vary but the impact shall make life/psyche of common men miserable.
No water and no life is the dictum of nature. Are we ready to acknowledge it and face global shortage of water in view of climate change and denudation of forests? In this context, title of the article may appear a bit queer. It is a common belief that tree roots go in search of water. It is also a natural phenomenon for trees to bring up water to earth surface but reverse can happen water goes in search of trees as illustrated below. Have you heard the name of Ali Manikfan, a renowned marine fish researcher from Minicoy in Lakshyadweep and a man in million, in whose name some species of marine fishes are named? He changed the face of a parched and barren land into greenery in Tamil Nadu. People around say water came in search plants after the vegetation grew up through his innovative approach. His experiment is worth emulating to conserve surface water and arrest climate change. Therefore, let our slogan be ‘To Save Water Plant Trees’.
E mail Id.dnmohanty2018@gmail.com Mobile No.9437113581
https://academic.oup.com/jxb/article/69/11/2759/4910007
