Untimely rains: Lopsided development reason?

By Ganesh Mavanji

Mangaluru: The rains are continuing unabated in Dakshina Kannada district with the Indian Metereological Department (IMD) again predicting heavy rain in the next three days.

According to geologists and environmentalists, the untimely rain is due to high temperatures and unscientific development works undertaken in the Western Ghats. They contend that concrete buildings which are being constructed everywhere, are replacing greenery like never before which has led to an increase in temperatures. If people continue with such practices in future, natural calamities will be more in the coming years, they say while stressing the need for precautionary measures to save humankind from the negative impact of climate change.

Deforestation and construction of concrete buildings are not limited to urban areas and are happening in rural areas as well. With deforestation rampant in rural areas including Western Ghats, the temperatures on sea surfaces has become very high leading to formation of clouds and untimely rain, says geologist Dr H Gangadhar Bhat.

Landslides have also become common in the Ghats in the last few years and they have damaged grasslands and forests. According to environmentalists, the Yettinahole project has also triggered more landslides in the region.

Environmentalist Dinesh Holla felt that on the pretext of developing tourism, more homestays and unscientific development projects have cropped up. “Yettinahole project is an example of such an unscientific project which should be stopped,” he added.

Both geologists and environmentalists stress the need for formation of a committee of experts for damage control.