And time flies....

Landed on this page accidently and thought why not jot a few lines. Am sure just like me those who followed me too have abandoned this blog :).

Daughter is back with us and has now joined as a trainee. She comes home tired and the other day heard her asking her father how I manage my cooking after work. Am sure she never realized it until now. Even I was just like her at her age and was much reluctant to spend time in the kitchen. But now am a seasoned cook and a homemaker. Somewhere along the way I even started enjoy cooking! Maybe it is the urge to eat tasty food and to serve it to others. Daughter cooks too and very tastefully. But now she is very busy.

Out here Summer is at it's peak and I read cities in India are running out of water. It seems more cities will join by the year 2020. It is a dismal scene and will be disastrous if immediate action is not taken. Think it is time for India to declare water emergency.

An impending water crisis on a scale hitherto unrecorded in recent history is predicted by 2020. Unless some miracle happens, it would mean groundwater touching zero by next year in 21 cities nationwide. That such a catastrophe was waiting to happen was known. In fact, this very alarming prognosis was underlined in the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) report released by NITI Aayog in 2018. But it failed to attract the attention it deserved, given the national preoccupation with the recently concluded general elections.

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/from-the-viewsroom/the-water-emergency/article28117923.ece

The best way to develop an efficient water cycle is to reuse it whenever and wherever possible. For instance, you can collect water from washing veggies and fruits and reuse it for watering the garden.

Using recycled water for flushing can help bring down your water bills by 30-40 per cent. Collect water from your RO filters in a container and reuse it to wash utensils or mop the floor.

Trap rainwater by installing Rain Water Harvesting systems and reuse it during summers when taps in many Indian cities run dry. It’s not as expensive as you think and can even be retrofitted on an existing house.

https://www.thebetterindia.com/175497/save-water-conservation-home-world-water-day-india/

Monsoon in Kerala this year is weak and last year's flood has disrupted the ground water table too. It is time to count every drop and save.....

Peerumade

Another December and today my mind left Kuwait and went to Peerumade. The weather out here is just like how it would have been at Peerumade. Chilly but not very cold. But it is the howling wind that distinguished Peerumade from the rest of the high ranges that I have experienced. When the howling started our hearts felt light since Christmas and holidays were not far away. The air would be smelling of eucalyptus and one could see it’s twigs lying everywhere. The sweaters would come out of the cupboards and my mother would be baking cakes for the season. Then it was all about waiting for the exams to get over.

There was nothing much to do but time flew somewhere. How I miss that place!

Recently I found a few photos that we took around Peer Mohammad tomb as kids. Peerumade got it’s name either from Peer Mohammad or Guavas (Peraka) since the small hills are scattered with small guava trees.  Now some of these hills are dotted with houses. Peerumade too is no longer free from the ills of development. The teas estates are no longer viable and I think small parcels of land were disposed off. I hope those lands are not entirely eaten up. Maybe trees can be planted or the tea shrubs can be left to grow wild. I am not sure if they consume more water than others.

For us, it is a short distance of travel from the valley to these hills. A day trip is always possible but even then it is not always done. I need to let everyone into my dreams. Hubby too fell in love with this place after our marriage so it is easy to convince him.

The last time we made a trip with my parents and brother and his family. We found that the bungalow that we grew up was left to die. The kitchen roof had caved in and the garden was no longer visible. The place was surrounded by trees which have all been now cut down. 

But Kuttikanam, the town that used to have only our school and few shops has now changed completely. It even has a 24 hour modern supermarket with a café that serves BBQ. Have not tried it yet but is on my bucket list. Last trip we passed the town on our way to Bangalore and had dosa from one of the hotels. Not very tasty but could be forgiven for the ambience. It came up after Marian College was built and serves the students mostly I think.

Here is a more detailed write up on Peerumade from another besotted visitor. The story of Peermade