A
mango tree, along with the Ashoka, neem and tamarind,
that stands tall on the vacant piece of land adjacent
to our apartment block, had hung their heads desolately
from April to middle of May, with the sun beating down
upon them mercilessly. Unable to cope with the cruel blaze,
they had no option but to let their leaves get scorched.
A thick layer of dust and ashes had settled on them, making
them look more doleful.
But
the scene changed from May 15. Slate slabs began to form
in the sky. And from then on, almost every evening, strong
breeze brought joyful rains — battering and beating
the dust off the Ashoka, neem, mango and tamarind trees.
The customary assault of the cloud bursts washed the dust
and grime away from the city giving all trees a lush green
look. Nature, it seems, made the sun pay the price for
his cruelty. With his back to the wall he fights regularly,
yet feebly, with the black clouds. The fights start from
3 pm or so. But he is no longer the king and after 3,
he gets blotted out from the sky with the clouds pouring
drops on the earth, the hills and the trees making Ranchi
look like Gangtok.
Old-timers
say that this is how Ranchi was till 10 years ago. The
Ranchi weather has undergone a sea change in the last
one decade or so becoming more warm and uncomfortable.
I, too, did not find much difference between the Patna
and Ranchi summers, when I came here in 2004. We had our
cooler and fans working day and night through April, May
and June in 2004 and 2005. But this summer the story's
a little different.
"People
used to come to Ranchi in summer till 10 years ago, just
as they go to Mussouri, Shimla and Gangtok. Ranchi had
turned harsh in the past few years or so," said a
colleague, an old resident, adding, "thanks to nature's
charity, we have got back the original weather this summer".
Invariably,
Ranchi citizens are stuck in traffic snarls with strong
winds uprooting trees or crashing them across Bariatu
and Ratu roads. Those moving in cars and two wheelers
remain wary of the falling trees. Still, they are happy
with their city regaining its glorious climatic conditions.
However,
as nothing is permanent but change, the city itself has
undergone irreversible changes. In the process, it has
lost the setting required to enjoy the monsoon.
For
instance, old residents recall that the Hazaribagh Road,
on which our office is located, had many vacant fields
dotted with tall Ashoka, tamarind and neem trees and little
shrubs all along, even two decades ago.
But
now, high-rises, market complexes and offices have replaced
the lush greenery in this area. And with the emergence
of these high rises, the pigeons, parrots, peacocks that
danced and played on the trees and shrubs, particularly
during the rainy and cloudy conditions, too, have vanished.
Similarly, Kanke Road that has an enchanting dam holding
a vast expanse of water, which still manages to attract
migratory birds from the northern hemisphere in winters,
too, has lost its natural charm. Modern petrol pumps,
car shops, multi-storied apartments and thickly populated
residential colonies have sprung up all along the road,
which used to a refuge for birds.
Bariatu
Hills was one of the places, till recent times, where
one could have gone to enjoy the play of dark and gray
clouds and see the dance of peacocks and hear the chirp
of parrots and pigeons. But, the people of late have encroached
upon this hill, making their concrete homes atop or on
the hills. At present, humans have replaced the hill's
green clusters, which had sheltered the birds.
So,
where one should go to enjoy the return of Ranchi's charming
rains?
To
me Ratu Road and Latehar Road still offer that sylvan
surroundings. The sprawling campus spread over 10 acre
of land that houses the imposing building of Ratu Maharaj
still is a good place to stay for sometime to enjoy the
monsoons. The campus has a variety of yellow, blue and
crimson flowers and one can hear the birds sing their
songs.
Moreover,
you can see the entire expanse of the horizon if you look
westward or southward from this place. For this area is
yet to be cluttered with high-rise buildings and shopping
malls. Similarly, the Ranchi–Latehar Road has Amjharia
Valley that has lush green forests nestling its sharp
bend and curves.
