Early morning, last Saturday of the previous month, 27 May, saw fierce storm and strongest thunderstorm of the season. Gusty winds touching 110 kmph recorded at IGI airport at 6.10 am must have been that intense in our Meghdutam Park too. The evidence of the severity of the speed is the fall of the wall that had the mural which depicted the scene of the garden with ‘Kalpvriksh’ as the main element in Kalidas’s ‘Meghdutam’. This had become a popular selfie point. Wish it can be restored with efforts of the concern Authority, with a stronger hold in the ground.
The title of this story is the spontaneous utterance by Dr Pratibha Jain, when she visited Meghdutam Park the next morning and saw the fallen wall. She said this is a signal for us to be alert; as such indications have been given to the humans from time to time, as written in the scriptures. Dr Pratibha is a Sanskrit scholar and a writer, who resides in Kailash Dham, E-block, Sector-50. Though she has parks nearby, her attraction to visit Meghdutam Park is “the pull of the elements of Meghdutam’s Alkanagri, as written by Kalidas; and the minute details of which have been incorporated by the architect of the park.” Readers may remember that around 5 years back a talk was arranged on a Sunday in the hut in the Park (behind Antriksh society) and Dr Pratibha was invited. She appreciated the work by the architect, the civil and horticulture departments for having the park designed as per the description in ‘Meghdutam’.
“Kalyug ka Abhishap” is a symbolic term, yet true in the current environmental scenario. World Environment Day, held on 5 June, raised concerns on various platforms for the deteriorating environmental conditions. Why is it that we do not have normal summer months with a long spell of dry hot days, and then the much-needed long duration of monsoon days – as is the normal pattern? Why so many wet days in the month of May?
Due to disappearing of tree clusters, the gases emitted by our cars/air-conditioners/electric gadgets make toxic layer in the atmosphere in the absence of the greenery to absorb the gases, and make the clouds heavy. With a few hot days only, the clouds are unable to hold the weight within. The gusty dry winds are the result of the lands turning barren. Both together results in unpleasant lashes of rains.
