Himalaya – An abode to diverse species, cradles an ineffably beautiful paradise in its lap. Its lush green and tall trees proclaim the majesty, awe and grace of its valleys. Its lofty mountains exhibit the grandeur of the Mother Nature. Its serene, calm and tranquilizing habitations attract hermits, saints and sages to meditate and seek divine proximity. Even commoners visit the deep dark woods of the Himalayas in pursuit of peace and placidity.
White foamy elixir flowing in its brooks and streams is a potion for perturbed souls. It owns hundreds of herbs that harmonize and heal chronic maladies. Warbles and trills of its polychromatic avain species create melodies in the hushed environs to soothe agitated minds. The region is home to gorges filled with ebullience, exhilaration and exuberance. Its glaciers beget hundreds of streams and rivers, and mother them through and through. Millions of souls feed on its nectar. The solitude and seclusion of the Himalayan belt is an idyllic fairyland where sorrows are erased instantly.
But, now, the blissful paradise has vehemently gone violent and wild. It viciously ransacks and ravages its own settlements. The mayhem and the brutal assault in the mountains has razed human settlements to rubble. Boulders of immense weight and mass are dancing along mud as if they are paper-hollows. Mountains of mammoth magnitude are crumbling as if plethora of dynamite is placed under them.
Cement concretes collapse to the fury like a house of cards. The subsequent devastation turns joys into grief. Wails, sighs and cries are heard in the aftermath immediately. The haunted clouds open up to shower rage and wrath upon the inhabitants of the regions. Hundreds are buried under debris and mud, dreams and homes are destroyed in a trice, and flashfloods flatten everything featureless as if there has been no human movement for thousands of years. Such views and scenes were only seen in Hollywood movies and films. But, now, the horror of nature dances in our high altitude abodes.
The frequently occurring horrible and horrendous weather events in the Himalayan region has jeopardized millions of lives, and evoked a sence of urgency and concern among environmentalists. The deadly disaster of cloudbursts has caused mayhem in the subcontinent. Northwestern regions of Pakistan viz Gilgit Baltistan, Khaibar Pakhtunkhwan, Pakistan occupied Kashmir; our Utrakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir including Ladakh are caught in the ominously vicious cycle of natural calamities viz cloudbursts.
Buner district of North Western Pakistan witnessed spine-chilling cloudbursts, and consequently, over hundreds of people died there. Property worth millions of rupees suffered extensive damage. And visuals from our Dharali and Chishoti villages were not less scary. Dozen were buried alive under thick sludge. Blitz of nature wrecked havoc in these villages. Intense ferocity of such weather events bring destruction and demolition of unimaginable magnitude.
Cloudburst is an obnoxious natural phenomenon, but human transgression and outrage expedites, stimulates and accelerates it ghastly. Global warming, atmospheric instability due to altering temperatures, rapidly melting snow and glacial wealth, emission of greenhouse gases and other deadly pollutants, accumulation of plastic trash in eco sensitive areas coupled with incessantly relentless deforestation has been detrimental in the prevalence of the nasty and awful weather occurrences.
Traditional sources of energy release abundant amounts of pollutants and undesirable gases into the atmosphere. We must look for alternate energy resources to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide like gases. Government should consider even-odd like concept to minimise pollution levels. Mega plantation drives should continue throughout the year. Even secondary, senior secondary, college and university level students should be given target projects to plant trees. Completion of such projects and intership programmes should be made mandatory for degrees and diplomas to be credited. No student shall be awarded any degree unless he/she plants a particular number of trees.
And we must take all precautions and necessary measures to curb the unwarranted meddling of Ibni-Adam with Mother Nature. Man grinds his axe at the cost of his own life. Our future generations won’t forgive us for being apathetic and complacent. The ulterior motives of man have blunted and ceased his reasoning faculties. He has forgotten his social, moral and ethical duties. He is adamantly hell-bent to annihilate life from the planet earth. Despite sermons and decrees, alleviation and mitigation of climatic issues is inadequately meager. The harsh weather events are witnessing a steep surge. The viceroy of God on the earth is consciously and unconsciously begetting environmental woes for the entire mankind.
And we shall also seek refuge in the creator of the clouds, mountains and valleys because we have offended him as well. We all must repent and ask for His forgiveness. We have annoyed our Creator and Sustainor. The mute creations living in forests and mountains have fallen prey to our frenzied whims. The custodians of jungles are cursing us for being cruel to them. No beast or wild animal has ever caused any harm to the environment. But, their master and the viceroy of God on the earth has stooped too low to display the real savagery. Man must justify his appellation of Ashraful Makhlooqat (Crown of creations) for his dastardly deeds. Shall the viceroy be deposed and deprived of his discretion? Let’s all rinse our conscience and ponder…
(Author is a Teacher and a Regular Columnist. He can be reached at [email protected])
