What if rains fails for 2 years: Are we (Sri-Lankans) ready?

What if rains fails for 2 years.

Are we (Sri-Lankans) ready?

The simple answer to this is Big No.

On the contrary we are all making this scenario possible on a daily basis.

One a daily basis everyone of us is contributing to felling trees.

The illegal felling of trees is rampant and often big political guns giving cover to the undesirable in the name of development.

In the name of development and road development the government has activated the engine of unsustainable growth.

Are we restoring and renovating tanks in case the rain fails for two seasons.

No.

The will build play grounds as if we have won the right to hold the Commonwealth games.

We have on record that we have converted an ancient tank into a cricket ground.

Additionally we are polluting our rivers and tanks (Renal problem in North and North East).

Can we designate 10 places in this country where water can be drunk straight from the stream?

No.

Can we designate 10 places where water can be taken for mineral water industry without treatment?

No.

Then what about the mineral water bottles?

If one does a secret survey without the knowledge of the company involved, they are just coming from tap water in tinted plastic bottles.

Mineral water is a big industry with minimum capital

that is why I never taste mineral water.

I do not mind foreigners drinking from mineral water bottles since in their blessed countries the pollution is 100 times compared to here.

Britishers took the pain to cultivate in our highland and made sure every river in its origin is polluted.

Our annual pilgrimage to Adams Peak does the rest.

Now come to my original premise, if rain fails for two years.

In this statement it does not mean total (100%) failure but substantial failure which may amount to 90% of the normal where rivers will dry up except in its origin.

For example if one looks at the Mahavali (Now I call it Mada Vally) River down below the diversion one should be able to understand and visualize the scene.

Every year from Teldeniya onwards the river goes dry part of the year.

One does not need to do any elaborate survey but just looking at the latest ariel view of Google is enough.

We not have a satellite of our own and if one wants to spend money spend some pennies and get a picture from Indian sources.

But my preposition is related to the effect of two important safety barriers we have with rain.

1. It (rain) cools our atmosphere so that we do not need a fan to coll ourselves.

2. The rain takes away the dirt and toxic fumes.

3. Toxic fumes include that are coming from Coal Power units running at full speed so that we can watch I.P.L cricket to entertain us in the not so cool afternoon.

4. I guess one or two players will succumb with heat stroke.

5. The smog will cover the the sky and will interfere with the photosynthesis of rain forest resident local varieties of plants.

They will flower prematurely and wilt away expecting for the rain to come.

(perennial varieties).

6. There is no germination of seeds.

7. Only few plants like cocoa and pipal trees will survive.

8. Then we can worship all the pipal trees but rain gods who were residing on tree tops have vanished to Africa to look after African resistant varieties.

9. Now we have drilled oil out of Northern Sri-Lanka and  Paisalie money is not a problem but transparency is.

10. We will spend all that money from gas and petrel to import bottle water for the politician and astrologers who are playing cricket in their back garden before the cabinet meeting (with few attending)  to refresh themselves with the world affairs.

11.No problem with rights of the people who want water to drink.

They are given either bottle of arrack or bottle of petrel to cash in with drinking water.

12. Government goons are selling the water bottles and take back both arrack and petrel and reinvest on water imported from abroad.

This is not hypothetical but real in time to come even without rain failing.