Some Reasons for Nature’s Fury by Nandkumar Kamat IT was a day of exceptionally high humidity. The temperature was around 35 degrees. There was no sign of the clouds in the afternoon. Suddenly the winds fell. There was an eerie silence. As the Sun began its descent, clouds gathered from the northeast. A gentle breeze began blowing. I was working on the computer till 7.30 p.m. in the university.
Suddenly the power supply was cut plunging me in the darkness. Being used to the vagaries of the power supply, we keep candles and matchbox ready in the laboratory. Before launching any scientific experiment we have to make absurd enquiries with the Bambolim substation about the power shutdown or interruptions. Fortunately, there is a very helpful executive engineer Mr Kamkar, who comes to our aid even at odd hours and he does everything possible within his means to restore the power supply. As the storm began gathering momentum, I climbed down the stairs and reached the entrance to our faculty block on my way to the residential quarters. There was no rain, but the lightening was frequent. As I stepped out, a blast of wind hit me with force. Immediately I retreated back to the shelter of the faculty building and began watching the nature’s furious drama. Having known the topography of the wind-swept plateau, I was curious to see the way the storm was developing. It did not disappoint me. The wind velocity picked up and within few minutes mini-tornadoes touched the ground. The dust filled the air. The garbage and plant litter was sucked in the vortices. The roadside electric poles were shaking precariously. The force of the wind was so high that I could not recall any day in the month of April as far as my photographic memory could explore the past. The wind was constantly changing directions indicating that it was a freakish local weather phenomena and not a pre-monsoon development. Then it began raining heavily. The downpour accompanied by the incandescent ultraviolet light and deafening polyphonic aerial sound show lasted for more than a hour. As I began to walk cautiously, I had formed a mental picture of the damage which might have been caused by this freak event. As expected, the next day the newspapers carried accounts of the destructive trail left behind the ‘squally weather’ — cyclonic winds as some preferred to call it. The local observatory as usual had a very speculative impression of the phenomena. Actually it gave a message of hopelessness by saying that it does not make any forecasts for such freakish weather phenomena and depends on the feed from Mumbai for weather alerts. This attitude is dangerous because in that case there would not be any machinery in Goa which would be able to monitor the local weather phenomena and provide early warnings. Now the state government would have to create its own local weather observatory specifically to monitor freak weather phenomena. >From statewide barometric, temperature, humidity and wind velocity readings it would be possible to predict changing weather conditions. The Goa observatory had failed to warn us on June 3, 1994 when strong winds accompanied by very heavy rainfall had hit Goa. Many ships in Marmagoa port had drifted. M V Sea Transpoter landed near Fort Auguada beach resort at Sinquerim creating panic in the state as it was carrying a cargo of furnace oil. It is the duty of Government of India to investigate the reasons for the freak weather changes in Goa as also in certain pockets on the west coast and bring these areas under special natural disaster management package. Because as I had predicted since 1997, such events have been increasing in their frequency and magnitude. To simplify the reasons as local effects of global warming and climate change would be equivalent to treating Goa as a sub- continental entity. The effects are very much local and these point to human interference in the natural ecosystems. The experts claimed that the recent cyclonic weather conditions were caused by “warming of the land”. If so, then how and why? Where all the natural heat sinks have disappeared? Unless there is a drastic reduction in natural tree cover and the surface area of waterbodies, this is not possible. The thermal gradient across Goa from the coastline to the Western Ghats is changing. The hills which were covered by green canopies have been stripped barren. Specific examples of Neura-o-grande, Nuvem, Sancoale, Rasaim, Kundaim, Verna and Lotulim can be given. The exposed laterite has increased the ground albedo. The naked soil absorbs intense heat which creates thermal eddy currents. Cutting of the hills has also created natural thermal canyons through which warm air circulates. The Gaunkaries and the private landlords in coastal Goa had architectured the ecosystem by planting dense rows of coconut palms as wind breaks. These were followed by thick bamboo breaks. A considerable thinning of these natural barriers to wind has occurred because Bardez and Salcete are rapidly losing their rural character and are marching towards complete urbanisation. The reports of damages in the recent storm show that it has been maximum in areas which have sacrificed their natural storm protection systems. The entire coastal belt of south Goa from Bogmalo to Betul is no longer safe from cyclonic disturbances. Most of the natural sand dunes in this belt have been demolished. Coastal erosion can be seen in Colva. There are two factors in microclimate control. The first one is to create appropriate heat sinks-in the form of thick vegetation cover on hillsides, in the valleys, on barren plateaus and around large concrete structures. Well spread artificial waterbodies also absorb heat provided these are well maintained and desilted regularly. The second factor is regulation of the wind. This is effectively done by creating wind breaks by planting wind resistant trees. The ancestors of Goans used Coconut, Ficus, Tamarind and several species of Bamboo as useful species for creating a defense barrier against powerful winds. A thick row of tall coconut trees absorbs the kinetic energy of the wind. Thick bamboo groves effectively dissipate even most severe cyclonic storm. But Goans and their rulers have sacrificed the traditional knowledge of ecological technology. The Government has very poor understanding of the well balanced composite of natural and man made ecosystems. The land of Goa is a happy accidental creation of nature. The recent storms are merely indicators of worse things to come. A very heavy price would have to be paid to the nature for sacrificing the traditional environmental ethos and championing environmentally unsustainable development. Let us at least conserve and protect whatever that remains of our natural barriers to the winds and storms. (The Navhind Times) - Forwarded by www.goa-world.com Picture of Dr. Nandkumar Kamat, courtesy: http://www.colaco.net/writers.htm UPCOMING EVENTS IN KUWAIT: MAY BALL 2005 Organized by Goan Welfare Society (GWS)-Kuwait Date: 12th May 2005, Venue: Safir Palace Hotel, Riggea Band: Stepping Stones Highlights: Crowning of the MAY QUEEN 2005. Enjoy the Goan hospitality at its best.
