The monsoon
rain is believed to be a blessing as well as a
curse. When the rain comes down in sufficient
quantity, it is a blessing for us after the
scorching heat of summer. It is a blessing for
the farmers too because the crops grow in
abundance. After the dry summer spell the rivers
fill up. There is no worry of dried up
riverbeds. The flow of water in the rivers is
steady. The streams feeding the rivers ripple
down happily. It is said, the peacock, the
national bird of India, shows its appreciation
by dancing during monsoon, though I have not yet
seen it.
When the rain is torrential the river water
spills over on all sides. The river overflows
and the water level of dams along the rivers
cross danger level. In order to save the dams,
excess water is released. This makes matters
worse and causes great trouble to everyone. All
the surrounding areas and farmlands get more
flooded. The roads and national highways are
inundated. The farmers are not happy as their
crops are destroyed in the flood. The strong
current washes away any thing that comes in its
way. In the process many lives are lost, as
everyone cannot battle such strong currents.
They are washed away and their bodies float down
the rivers. Vehicles, animals and houses get
washed away too in the raging river. The heavy
rains in the highland regions cause soil
erosion. The rain water gushes down bringing
with it all the top soil and plants. This makes
the river water very muddy. Sometimes big trees
are uprooted and they too flow down the river.
So we always hope for moderate but sufficient
rainfall so that the rivers in the rainy season
remain manageable.