India is an agricultural country. A very large part of its population is dependent on agriculture. Rain is very useful for farming which is provided by the rainy season. The rainy season brings a welcome relief to man and nature after the prolonged summer season. The monsoon sets in normally in the last week of June and continues by the middle of September. The monsoon rising from the Indian Ocean brings rain. This season gives soothing relief to the sun-burnt Earth. Fed by rainwater, trees and plants put forth new leaves and look lively, green and gay. Farmers make most of the rains by sowing new crops. In short, the rainy season is the harbinger of hope and prosperity. But like everything else, this season too has its dark side. Excess of rains causes floods which destroy crops and bring untold suffering to the mankind. Heavy rains cause landslides and disrupt vital services such as transport and communication. Besides, there is a possibility of the outbreak of epidemics in the stagnant water. Similarly, lack of rain causes drought which has adverse impact on grain production. In fact, the dark side of the rainy season is not the nature’s doing, it is our inability to cope with the excessive or deficient rainwater, especially when we know that the rainy season occurs in particular months of the year. We have to show our will-power to make adequate provisions so as to minimise the ill-effects of excessive or deficient rains.
