The Recent Floods, A Catalyst For Communal Harmony
By Mass L. Usuf –June 2, 2016
Mass L. Usuf
“Tragedy is like strong acid – it dissolves away all but the very gold of truth”~ D. H. Lawrence.
The common practice of humans building homes and towns near rivers and other bodies of water (i.e., within natural floodplains) has contributed to the disastrous consequences of floods. These natural floodplains are converted from fields, marshes or woodlands to roads and parking lots, it then loses its ability to absorb rainfall.
At the discussion in Parliament (25.05.2016) on the damage caused by the floods, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe pointed out that about 1,000 acres of land around Parliament were identified at different locations as water retention areas. Upon an inspection, he said that he found only about 500 acres of this land remains for that purpose. The rest encroached upon or acquired and buildings constructed. His contention was that even for the regular monsoon the area gets flooded. The story in Wellampitiya – Megoda Kolonnawa, Lansiyawatte, Sedawatte, Brandiyawatte, the Kelaniya river embankment etc. is not any different.
Do Not Rape Her
Generally, and in legal parlance, storms, floods, landslides and earthquakes are often called Vis Major or Force Majeure (act of God). In the olden days man lived in harmony with nature. For him natural disasters were unpredictable and because of that such disasters were inextricably linked to various beliefs. Concomitant to a disaster was the offering of animal sacrifice or even human sacrifice, in the days of yore.
Often times natural disasters were also connected to some pantheistic deity whose wrath or sentiment is expressed in the form of a calamity. For example, the ancient Egyptians believed that the Nile flooded every year because of Isis’s (a goddess from the polytheistic pantheon of Egypt) tears of sorrow for her dead husband, Osiris (god of the afterlife).
However, in today’s context, there is no doubt that there is a long list of man-made disasters. A further addition to that list is deforestation, the greenhouse effect and global warming each reckoned as contributors to the cause and effect cycle of natural disasters. For instance, in Sri Lanka the forest cover in the 1900s was in the range of 70%. Subsequent studies in 2010 have estimated the forest extent to have reduced to 20%. An alarming and steep decline of our forestry. (Forestry Sector Master Plan [FSMP], 1995; CIA World Fact Book, 2011; FAO, 2010b).
The disaster that strikes resulting from negative human interaction with nature is what may be called the sweet revenge extracted by mother nature for abusing her. If nature is raped she gets back to you with fury and vengeance.
