21/12/2020
Give your city a periodic holiday
Nature is at its best these days thanks to this enforced lockdown. Absence of fumes exhaled by vehicles and industries, construction work at a standstill, industrial excreta not pouring into rivers, absence of noise and vibrations due to scanty traffic, have transformed our cities and environment. The pollution level is at its lowest. The cities look as though they have been thoroughly washed by nature. The fragrance of freshness in the atmosphere is reminiscent of the 70s and 80s, an entirely new experience for the younger generations who have never seen our cities as beautiful as a young bride any time before. When the lockdown was released for some days we could see the difference in the atmosphere at once, the cities became polluted, dirty, and noisy again.
We go on holiday to enjoy a clean, fresh environment and to distance ourselves from the stress of work. We return rejuvenated with more vigor and freshness gleaming from our faces. Today, our cities are also looking very happy and rejuvenated; appear to have just returned from a long holiday. They have regained what originally belonged to them. The animal life, birds, vegetation, fresh air, pollution-free atmosphere, everything that belonged to this land has now come back without our efforts, in fact, due to lack of them. Many animals and rare birds driven away into hidings by human encroachment, have now found their ways back venturing fearlessly on the roads, a spectacular sight. It was always there but in our quest to ‘progress’ with the world we converted the natural mountains, forests, lakes, and rivers into mountains of concrete structures; forests of industries and vehicles; ponds, nallas of filth and pollution. Our ever-growing population merely adds to these man-made disasters.
Intoxicated with scientific knowledge, man always thought himself superior. His ego made him believe that he could do without anything else, least of all the gifts provided by nature. Nature continued to give us oxygen, water, food, and shelter; but we neglected our symbiotic relationship with it, its animals, birds, insects, rivers, forests, mountains, and air. We forgot that we are wholly dependent on them and not them on us. If anyone of them vanishes from earth our existence would be in danger and not the other way round.
The COVID19 pandemic has taught us many lessons. Foremost among them is imperative to shift our priorities from materials towards staying healthy. In a very short time, we readily sacrificed our pleasure, luxury, work, income, and relationships mainly to remain healthy. We never shun away to have stayed indoors; do all the hard and unpleasant work at home only to say “goodbye” to the deadly virus. Overnight, as a blessing in disguise, a religious precept has at last got recognition that our basic needs are limited and mere acquisition of material goods is pointless. A rethinking is required to draw a different model of living, revalue our needs, and set priorities to create a modified paradigm for living.
Just think of a couple of months from now, when lockdown will be completely lifted. The reappearance of hustle bustle on roads, pollution of air and noise, garbage and filth all around, and sudden disappearance of those rare animals and pretty birds will make us nostalgic about the lockdown days, which we are cursing today. Wishfully, we shouldn’t need lockdown again for this reason, but just a thought to ponder. Can we voluntarily enforce a status of “lockdown”, “stay home”, “be indoors”, whatever you name it, for one week once in a month or so, when all the educational institutes, offices, malls, clubs, shops, construction work, road work, traveling everything which falls under the present lockdown law, would come to standstill. In other words, give a week’s holiday on a regular basis to our overworked environment.
It is time now that we repay our debt to our holy motherland: a periodic rest, some breathing time, allow the eco-system to rejuvenate. Now that we know that we can do without many “essential” things, so far considered “unlivable without”, we can easily adapt to a little trade-off to get a quality environment and allow our overburdened land to recover. Let all the trades, traffic, institutions, malls, and shops come to standstill, ensure that those who can, all work from home where possible just for one week once in a month. A little discomfort would be well compensated with a clean atmosphere for all. Maybe some of us will have less income but don’t we all take holidays, spend time, money just to get to a similar, healthy atmosphere? Despite all the efforts all over the world, governments are unable to ensure pollution-free cities. All the strategies have failed. Why not try giving the city a periodic holiday for the benefit of the whole population?
A preplanned, short-term, periodic lockdown would not be as harsh as that experienced recently. Everybody would be forewarned and prepared. Had it not been for the experience we gained recently, this suggestion would have been dismissed as absurd with grave consequences. Most would have exclaimed: ‘We can’t even dream of this!’ But now, we can confidently profess that nothing significant would be lost in terms of finances, education, and production, since it would be a planned move and in return, we shall rejuvenate our ecosystem on a regular basis.
We have already learned to live with it, some have started liking it too and probably, after some time, most of us would be looking forward to having it; one week's periodic holiday to our city.
Dr. Dilip Kiyawat
Consultant Neurosurgeon
Jehangir Hospital, Pune
9822046043
dilipkiyawat@gmail.com
Give your city a periodic holidayNature is at its best these days thanks to this enforced lockdown. Absence of fumes exhaled by vehicles and industries, construction work at a standstill, industrial excreta not pouring into rivers, absence of noise and vibrations due to scanty traffic, have transfor...
