Bits of life

A-14 Words-1175

their adjudication of my theses and granted me the PhD,” she stopped to relax and looked a bit reflective. Perhaps she was thinking of the recent events leading her to achieve the top qualification in her chosen subject. It was wonderful to meet a person like Elvira who seemed have come from a rich background and highly educated and well qualified. Aunt Sarah napped a bit and a little later she asked Elvira if she had learnt music. Elvira replied, “Yes ma’am. My mom insisted on getting me trained in music. I preferred vocal to any instrumental training. I also earned a certificate in vocal music.”

Aunt Sarah was duly impressed and got herself busy talking music with Elvira while I concentrated on driving. We passed by great scenic views of tall trees like the eucalyptus, the gum, the oak, the maple and several other trees growing and giving shade to the passing vehicles. Green and clean was the latest tag that the government started popularizing. We urgently need this kind of push from the ruling body. In fact they should banish certain things like building tall and huge apartment structures, using too much of cars and other vehicles that make use of petrol and produce lot of fumes and smoke, obliterating the health of the society. The damage done by the apartment complexes was mirrored in the depletion of ground water supply. If all the countries in the world go at the mad rate of speed in constructing too many of these optical disturbances, it won’t be far away when we would suffer the consequences such as lack of drinking water, hardly any water for the agricultural produce and livestock. After all water will always be a source of life as it was from times immemorial. If the trees and forests are cut to accommodate man’s greed for making more and more money, we lose the green cover that protects us from direct sun rays. The ozone cover is being holed and global temperatures raise. Ice at the poles melts and ocean levels go up. Gradually, earth will be submerged in water making life come full circle in a negative way.

Also, as everyone knows trees and forests cause the rain to fall in the right time of the year. Without rain our rivers and freshwater reserves deplete and we face drought and malnutrition. If the rivers dry up, our crops and livestock die. Great civilizations form and cultures evolve by the side of the rivers. Each country with a separate culture has examples of rivers by the side of which important cultures formed. The Yellow river in China, the Ganges in India, the Nile in Egypt, River Thames in the UK, the Danube in the Soviet Russia and several others show that a river has been an important part and parcel of the formation of a culture. From the time of cock’s cry in the dawn hour to the twilight hour rush of winging of birds to their nests, the use and vital need of water is beyond doubt.

In modern times people have discovered the need to drink more water to stay healthy and strong. everyone wants water and no one can do without water. Nothing can replace water. We should not make our situation like that of the Ancient Mariner in Samuel Coleridge’s poem,
“Water water everywhere
Not a drop to drink.”
Water to mortals, is like the nectar to immortals. So by being careless and complacent we are endangering our own lives and finally, a threat to eradicate human race on earth. Our Head of the Government is doing a fine job by encouraging the citizens to save water. He is asking us to save even rain water, which he calls water harvesting. By doing this, scientists state that we are contributing to raise the levels of underground water which in turn keep our rivers, ponds and other water sources to generate water so we can lead happy, healthy and peaceful lives. Rationing the supply of water to houses and others is another big step in that direction. I hope his efforts will yield good results and this measure might be followed by other leaders of different countries for their own good.
Same kinds of strictures are also introduced with regard to cutting of trees and deforestation. Anyone caught while attempting to do the above, is tried and sentenced to severe imprisonment. As a result I can see a lot of vegetation coming up and people started growing gardens of their own. Even in apartment complexes, each resident is given a small patch of roof to grow their vegetables or flowers. This is truly beneficial to them. In fact it is doubly beneficent. Ask me how? It gives them a chance to indulge in horticulture to develop a health hobby or occupation as well as a chance to be among the green trees which by itself is a therapy. I can understand why our hospitals and medical centers make their compounds green. I heard that small plants and big plants give out oxygen which is extremely good for the patients. We should know that nature is a blessing to the human kind. Recent findings of the scientists proclaim that trees and plants listen to what we tell them and respond too. Music makes flowers to bloom well and the leaves to sparkle.

Cleanliness is next to godliness is the maxim I have been hearing since my childhood days. I remember our principal made it a point to involve all the students in keeping the surroundings clean and green. Each class had to go to a particular area and make it clean by the end of the day. We were sent to areas where cleanliness was not a draw. So we had to lug and sweep and lift rubbish or garbage into the truck that our school used to have. At the end of the day when we looked back at our work, our hearts used overflow with joy and pride. Service to humanity is service to God. There are so many such sayings that inspire us into doing beneficial service and thinking as well.

Now one of the worst threats to environment at present happens to be the tall buildings that have been springing up all over the place like mushrooms. I am happy that builders are now put under the microscope and their activities especially the illegal things like encroachment are checked. If they are found guilty heavy fine is levied on them which discourages them to venture further.

Smoking and chewing tobacco too are banned in some big cities and I am sure this measure is going to spread all over the country. Advertisements regarding the harmful effects of smoking are widely shown on the TV and heard on Public radio. Heart disease and lung disease and cancer of the lungs, throat and esophagus are common evils of smoking. I think the population is realizing the bad effects of smoking and many of them are trying to give