For an adaptive infrastructure

As the intensity and frequency of natural disasters increase, and many places in India, like Kerala, becomes particularly vulnerable to the onslaughts of climate change related crisis accentuated by  market instigated wanton greed and increasing population pressure it’s about time to think about adaptive measures. The infrastructure has to factor in the new changing reality. With water logging predicted to become a common occurrence we could learn from traditional house construction in places like Assam, as also many regions in south east Asian countries, that faces constant inundation. Houses here are constructed on raised stilt like platforms. I fail to understand why these construction strategies are not followed in places like Kuttanad. Two important considerations must form the basis of infrastructure investment. One, the building must have high level of resilience. Second, immediate functional recoverability, particularly of the basic connectivity like roads and bridges, after the disaster must become an important factor in construction.       

Unprecedented deluge

The kind of rainfall Kerala is experiencing is unprecedented, made much critical by unique geographical feature of the region and high population density. Sandwiched between tropical evergreen mountains and Arabian ocean it is a fragile ecosystem that has millions of years of making. In the recent times these have been severely degraded with population pressure and wanton consumerism -what is termed as development, this despite the fact that Kerala has quite evolved HDI standards. Unfortunately the opportunities provided by high HDI has not converted into responsible evolved social context. Literacy has failed to show enlightened understanding of life. It’s dog eat dog world that nurtures depraved mindsets that is constantly in material need to display and feel fulfilled. The onslaught of market, sanctum moral vacuum and amazingly consumerism thriving organised religions have competed to create a unique blend of mindsets, insular attitudes and heightened insecurities, self preserving reactional contexts. It is such a heartrendingly adverse society that loses no occasion to exaggerate itself (even 'God’s own country') that one is left baffled so as to desperately seek to hinge on any reference for sanity. The empathetic egalitarian contexts that were firmly connected to unique biodiversity and sustainable ways of life has long been negated and now finds space as ayurvedic quick fix brands that promise miracle.

This background is needed to understand the havoc of nature, as gold salivating greed filled self-assured society finds itself scampering for cover while superstition driven self-defeating rituals are left with no space in flooded land (includes keenly segregating and degrading godforsaken sabrimala. Sorry humans -men and women, keep off for now). Even in this tragedy disgraceful market intervenes the TV news with more bizarre baits to buy that is strikingly isolated from unfolding tragic reality. Not to be left behind celebrated and successful little Trumps at Airlines have hiked the ticket fare, monetizing tragedy is a business model that surely adds to GDP. Business is now open to highest bidders, you can skip the queue and leave the stampede to less blessed.

Climate change is real. Fossil fuel adds to global warming, meaning vehicles/cars being hawked by infotainment channels as latest models to entrap people to fill enormous bellies are adding to the accentuating problems common people face. While hapless people suffer there is a thriving tradition of fattening on misery -a blessing. The disconnect is amazing, and now colliding into new realization that something is seriously amiss and that the humans are woefully inadept to face the force of nature. Meanwhile the only good thing that comes out of this is that the State government (with assistance from Union government) has handled the situation quite professionally and shown uncommon alacrity. We can thank them for that.