Floods: Mohanlal asks Kerala to learn from Odisha

Actor Mohanlal has always voiced his opinions and concerns about various incidents that take place in society. In his latest blog, the actor draws the attention of his readers to the recent flash floods and land slips that have ravaged many parts of Kerala. He warns about the great ecological catastrophes that await man, if we are not willing to change our ways.

“The incredible unity displayed by our people during the time of floods had disappeared. Those who lost their houses and plots continue to be homeless. Quarrying and crusher units, that have been suspended temporarily, resumed their functioning with more intensity. The number of artificial lakes in the high altitude areas are increasing. Politicians are back with their usual blame game. Kerala has gone back to what it has been. Even though we had forgotten everything, the nature didn’t,” wrote Mohanlal in his blog.

“Nature’s calendar, meanwhile, has been mesmerizingly accurate. Exactly a year after the great deluge, heavy rains battered the state once again. Many hills that have been bearing the brunt of mining got washed away. Meanwhile, the lives and livelihood of hundreds of people too have disappeared. Many of them are still under the soil even as I write this. We weren’t able to learn from last year’s floods or do proper planning. The rains, meanwhile, stunned us with its severity. Poor people got drowned in the gushing flood waters. The incredible weather of Kerala is what draws the world here,” Mohanlal points out.

The actor says we used to boast about our unique 'njattuvela' or harvesting seasons which couldn’t be plundered by the colonizers. He adds that the changes of seasons were impeccably beautiful and regular as well. “We enjoyed moderate and mesmerizing monsoons, pleasant summers and cool winters. We used to take pride in our amazing seasons and pleasant climate. However, everything has turned topsy turvy now. We used to pen poems and songs praising the beauty of rains. However, now, we are scared seeing the heavy rain showers. Every place has become a flood prone area. Tourists who wish to travel to Kerala began preparing their travel calendars cautiously. In the future, the investors too may become vary of the situation here. Is Kerala on its way to become a climatically dangerous area? If that is the case, then we need to panic and starting thinking,” continues the actor.

Mohanlal writes that none can completely resist natural calamities, but can predict the calamities using modern, scientific equipment and take precautions accordingly. As an instance he points out that more than 10,000 casualties were reported in the 1999 cyclone that hit Odisha. Meanwhile, just 25 people reportedly lost their lives in the cyclone Fani in 2005. He credits Odisha for using satellite images to predict the strength of the waves and the winds and also the intensity of the rains. The state government, the officers of the disaster response teams and other officials has used this data to work efficiently. Mohanlal states that even the United Nations had appreciated Odisha for its great works in averting a disaster. The actor asks why Kerala can’t achieve this if Odisha can.

“We ought to take lots of precautionary measures based on the experiences of the past two years. We must realize that collecting funds is not the only relief activity. Can’t we use our modern and scientific prediction and warning systems to plan well and evacuate people from the dangerous areas, rather than rescuing them after the disaster has happened? For this to happen, all of us are required to do our jobs and duties with honesty. I often feel that people, these days, are lacking in qualities such as gratitude, humility, dedication and compassion. We should be humble towards nature and display compassion to our fellow human beings. We should be grateful for all the blessings. But I feel that we are slowly losing all these values,” observes Mohanlal in his blog.

Mohanlal says he is someone who firmly believes that the difficulties in life could be easily overcome if everyone performs their duties perfectly. “The realization that everything is not just for us to enjoy, the willingness to listen to knowledgeable persons, sensibility to not mix politics and religion in everything and a great vision for the future and the coming generations. If not now, when will we have these realizations?” asks the actor.

“None can survive with the attitude ‘after me, the deluge’. It is important to realize that floods are always with us. Let us help each other as much as we could, in this time of crisis. Share what you have with someone else as well. Let us be a bit more humble and honest. More importantly, let us realize that nature is the supreme God and fold our hands in respect,” concludes Mohanlal.