A girl and a plate of aaloo chaat

1:30PM - The school had just ended and the girl was really excited to get back home into her mother's lap. The girl was a regular 14 year old Delhi girl studying in class X at one of the reputed schools in Delhi. She was wearing her school uniform with a blue shirt, grey skirt and navy blue blazer to beat the cold.

Before she hopped on to the rickshaw, she and her friend decided to indulge themselves to a plate of aaloo chaat. Quickly, they turned around and ran towards a road side vendor and ordered for one plate of one of the most popular and common snacks enjoyed by Delhiites irrespective of the time of the day. The two girls relished it, enjoyed every piece of potato (aaloo) and just as they were finishing the last bite, the rickshaw puller yelled out for the girls to join the others for the journey back home. The girl finished the last piece, threw the thermocol plate (on which she was served the aaloo chat) on the road and rushed towards the rickshaw.

This looks like a very regular incident happening outside most of the schools and provides for a nice read. However, if one re-reads the last three lines, the entire incident turns out to be a shocking read. Without even caring for where she was standing, without even considering if anyone else was standing besides her and without even looking for a dustbin in the close vicinity, the girl just threw the thermocol plate on the road. For her, it was as if a very normal thing to do. Her face expressions wore a very casual look. She was a perfect description of what I refer to as Kya Farak Padta Hai attitude problem.

Now consider the fact that the girl is currently just 14 years old and will therefore be a part of our future generation. But with this attitude at this early age, she would most certainly grow into an environmentally irresponsible citizen. She would therefore cascade down the same mindset into her brother/sister, husband, kids and her colleagues. And therefore one individual suffering from a negative mindset will end up impacting the mindset of so many individuals over her lifetime.

The question is, what can we do so as to avoid such a mishappening? One simple way is that we should take it as our responsibility to teach young students about environmental issues / problems and make them aware about healthy environment habits and green lifestyle. These young students can act as change masters and influence our future. Only if they wish, I am sure we can still ensure a green and healthy tomorrow. We talk and discuss endlessly about climate change and other environment issues but we end up neglecting the genesis of the problem. We must ensure that our young students get the right set of education and values which would sensitize them to consider environment preservation as a default activity rather than a choice. At the end of the day, it's all about Making your own choice.

PS: The incident is a real life incident which was observed by the author on 25 November, 2009 at 1:30 PM outside a prominent school in Pitam Pura, Delhi

Mosquitoes in Himalayas

According to a recent report published in the New York Times,

" There are other signs of climate change in the Himalayas. Flies can can now be found at Mount Everest base camps. Mountain populations nearly 3,500 meters above sea level are reporting mosquitoes for the first time. In the past, cooler temperatures protected populations from these disease-carrying bugs”

Strange as it may sound, one may wonder the relationship between mosquitoes and melting of Himalayas. However, the breaking link between the two lies in a phenomenon called the Climate Change.

In order to understand climate change, , it is important to understand the paradox associated with it. In one state it can result in floods and at the same time it can also result in droughts in the neighbouring states. Similarly, at one place it can result in extinction of few species, at the other place it can also result in proliferation of certain other species. And it is this paradox only, which is resulting in major catastrophe, with our entire country in the grip of one or the other problem and the reason to all of them being one, Climate Change.

Coming back to mosquitoes and Climate change, a number of cities across the world were set up above a certain height which we refer to as Mosquito Line. The idea behind the concept was that the mosquitoes need warmer temperatures to breed and increase in number. And as we go above the sea level, the temperature begins to drop and above a certain standard height, the mosquitoes cease to exist. Therefore a number of cities were set up at a certain height above the sea level with the assumption that since the conditions at this height do not suit the mosquitoes, they would be forever secure from the terror of these disease causing bugs.

However, with the rise in average temperature of earth because of climate change, the mosquito line if shifting upwards. . As a result, the conditions are becoming hospitable for mosquitoes even at those heights which were earlier considered safe. Because of which, the occurrence of diseases like malaria, dengue fever is bound to increase much more in the times to come. This rise in mosquito line has resulted in the presence of mosquitoes even at the Himalayas as reported by the New York Times.

An example closer home is a recent warning issued by the Delhi government to be careful of dengue fever. Presence of mosquitoes in the month of November is not a regular phenomenon in Delhi because temperature by this time of the year is usually low enough to support any mosquito breeding. However, warmer temperatures in November as a result of climate change are resulting in Delhiites asking for cover from these menacing mosquitoes.

The government is doing its bit through awareness campaigns, health camps etc but at the same time it is also the duty of all of us to take steps to combat the problem of climate change. We can no longer afford to maintain our “Kya Farak Padta Hai” attitude to the presence of mosquitoes in Himalayas. We must act and Make our own Choices.