Water, water everywhere

The grand total for the year so far - 2798 mm – almost 111% more than the annual average, not only broke Charlie’s Auroville records but was the highest annual rain total in this region since Pondicherry city began keeping records in 1911. 

One Aurovillian rain recorder logged even higher figure. On 14th December, when the North East monsoon was withdrawing, Tom had logged a total of 2955 mm for the year in Invocation, while, further to the south in Ravena, Jaap logged 2675 mm.

As Paul Vincent wittily remarked on Auronet, “This year, God went to sleep and forgot to close the valves”.

But even these figures don’t give the full picture. Charlie notes that it rained on 109 days this year, while another 17 days were trace days. So on more than one in three days we experienced rain. Moreover, at times the rain was unprecedentedly heavy. On 20th November, in one half hour period, Akash in Maitreye recorded 8.4 centimetres, and 10.5 centimetres within the hour, surely another record.

It was this downpour which almost swept away three Aurovilians who were returning from a birthday party. “The pulling me,” reported Dariya. “Trying to keep my balance I kept going, knowing if I fall the river will take me”. In a canyon which also serves as a road, a car got stuck and the driver had to spend the whole night in it. That same night, the popular Tanto restaurant in Kuilapalayam was flooded. But the team and the customers were undeterred. “The Tanto team is so brave,” reported Daniel, the manager. “We did 30000 rupees worth of orders that night, with clients sitting in the water”.

Cecilia used a break in the rains to put her termite-attacked books out in the sun. Unfortunately, the rains returned before she could rescue them. It left her philosophical. “In the realm of books, it appears that termite ladies will always have the last word, and if not the termites, the rains will wash them off, reminding us of the impermanence of things”. Bunds broke and water gushed down roads which had inadequate run-off. One Aurovilian suggested that funds be put aside for a Bund Board which would strengthen and remake the bunding systems created over the years. Another suggested that the sides of the Matrimandir lake excavation should not be waterproofed but serve as a water catchment basin for the aquifers below, while another pointed out that bunds and groundwater recharge areas must now become planning priorities. For if, as the Indian Meteorological Office believes, our region is in for an almost doubling of the yearly precipitation on a permanent basis, we will need to redesign our roads, bunds and much else with this in mind.

Meanwhile, the villagers were also badly affected. Kolams overflowed, destroying roads and flooding houses.

But there were gains as well as losses. The aquifers, which were becoming immensely from the rains, causing the water level in Auroville’s wells to rise, and Tom’s careful measurements suggest that the second aquifer may be regaining the pressure it had been losing.

Finally , Aurovik reminded us what Mother had expressed:

The rain – it is like a Grace that god sends to bless the earth and to purify it. It is this that gives life to Nature and the animals.

It has an extraordinary power of purification.

As soon as the rain comes down, it purifies the atmosphere of all the negative formations that we throw in the air and the harmful forces that constantly try to destroy us...

In which case, perhaps we can never get enough of it!