ADHVAGATI

Unprecedented deluge in Karnataka and Andhrapradesh. And just the other day, the lament was about Drought. As they say in vernacular : "Athivrishti - Anaavrishti". The usual post crisis finger pointings are going on , full steam. "Avoidable tragedy" is the unanimous verdict. We do have Disaster Prevention and Management committees. Also, pertinently, Disaster Relief Funds......Even marmosets learn, at least by pavlovian reflex. We never learn. It was quite eerie to see images of the Tunga flooding the shrine in Mantralayam. Never have i seen the river there being anything more than a thin, sluggish stream, coursing well away from the bank . One always had to cross expanses of hot rocks to get the mandatory holy sprinkle. * .....Now I think of a little girl - is she safe ? Sadly, "Hungry and shelterless" may not be a new situation for her..... * All pilgrims to the Saint's Brindavana in Mantralaya are expected to visit the cave where he meditat

Was saddened by reports and pictures of the Samoan Tsunami and the Indonesian quake. Natural disasters have started becoming regular features in the News. A strong pointer ,perhaps, to the fact that we are not taking as much care as we should of our home planet. Whenever the subject of Tsunami comes up, I think of the Pichavaram Mangrove Jungle. When the terrible tidal wave devastated the Nagapattinam coast in 2004, this small haven, a green David, put up a brave fight against the Goliath and lived to tell its tale . Having quickly mended its minor bruises, it is still standing there, a proud eco-warrior,luxuriant and full of wisdom to be shared with anyone who cares to lend an ear. Having visited Pichavaram many times, I am yet to become immune to its verdant charms. Pichavaram is the second largest mangrove biotope in Asia ( after Bengal's Sundarbans), ranking among the healthiest of wetland vegetations in the world. Spread across 1400 hectares ( still growing), i