Seriously, what is happening with the monsoons in Kerala?
The first week of July is coming to an end and we are still waiting for the
first real signs of rain! Sure, there has been intermittent rain, sporadic and
in fits and bursts. But what of the consistently heavy downpours that one
associates with the monsoon in Kerala?...what of the cozy days spent indoors
with a cup of hot coffee and a good read, listening to the incessant chatter of
the raindrops on your roof?...what of those school re-opening days when like an
accurate clockwork it would start pouring for the first school assembly?...what
of those puddles of water on the roads?...alas, they all seem like distant
utopian memories. Memories that look destined to be just that – beautiful vignettes
stored away in the recess of our minds.
Is all of this related to the innumerable changes in the
ecosystems that we human beings are bringing about? Has it got anything to do
with that dreaded word – ‘climate change’? If so, how are we as architects
contributing to this either directly through our actions or indirectly through
our inactions? How is the built environment contributing to these?
All of these are questions that we need to ponder over as
yet another day drags to an end without any sign of the rain gods making an
entry anytime soon..
