Endless Voyage
Rise and fall of humanity
by
pradipkumar raol
&
prakash vaidya
Part - 14
It was ten to eight. Actually under the changed situation it was an extremely hot day. In the splendid territory of Goa at Regional Tsunami center’s time for changing shift duty was 8:00 am. Those, whose shift was getting over, started to get ready to go home.
They were collecting their things like spectacles, pen, overcoat, caps, keys etc. Small conversations also took place; usually they discussed about this hard times and how they are dealing with it. Problems were everywhere and there was no solution in sight. Some expressed the view that this centre must be shut down and the staff should be allotted elsewhere. Others just believed the opposite. The shift of work was changing, greeting and questions like Hi, how are you? Why so late today? How is your mother? Send your family to safer place etc. was exchanged. They also discussed about their work, reports, data and analysis before resuming their work. Nobody was enthusiastic really. They were learned people and could very well imagine what will happen to the entire humanity if, things like this prolongs too far. They worked in fear and hope. They were in great dilemma. Everyday new problems arose.
Most of the town people had left leaving behind their homes, bungalows, farms and cattle’s. Some were just beginning to do so. But those who were in government service were unable to go anywhere because they were not allowed to go on leave or resign. Government had put strictest controls. Centre was to be kept open under any conditions. Such were the orders. No leaves would be granted. People were not at all encouraged to leave the towns as far as possible. Even otherwise mass exodus could be seen all over the world.
However, people know the ways of governments and their mismanagement in the times of crisis and disaster so they thought it wise to trust their own judgments and wanted to move ahead to the unknown fate. It by doing so if they could save the next generation then it would be well and good. Villages, cities, towns were gradually vacated and presented a deserted look.
In the whole world government administration was on the verge of losing complete control. It could be said that there were no governments at all. All their agencies were failing on all the fronts. Day to Day necessities were no longer available. The prices had sky rocketed for things in demand, while for other things there were no takers even for free of cost. At many places the age old barter system was made into practice. Woolen clothes were exchanged for caps. Watches were given away to buy 200ml. of milk for children. Money had lost its value. What were valued most were commodities which could save the precious lives of humans. One fellow had wanted two water drums in exchange for his computers but eventually the deal was finalized in exchange for his gold chain. One otherwise respected gentleman, for allowing one farmer to stay in the basement of his bungalow got the ownership of his eight acres of land. The farmer was helpless because he was not capable of leaving the area with his sick wife and more sick small children.
People were suffering terribly due to the scorching heat of the sun. Day was becoming longer. According to weather experts and scientists the sun would remain for another three days, which means the day would remain for 72 hrs. And then slowly night will come. Similarly even the night would be longer. But before people could find solace will they be able to survive? Was there any future for human race? The temperatures were rising exponentially. Starting from 38°c it reached to the mark of 58°c in couple of days. Experts said in few days it would cross 64°c or more. Fear seemed now a meaningless word. Unbearable pain and suffering had made people numb in their minds. They did not feel anything. They were just acting out of impulse, their behavior unpredictable.
Communications of all kinds worsened, came to a standstill because of circuits and insulators getting burnt up. Mankind never ever suffered living deaths like this since its origin. Birds – insects, animals were dying without water and due to extreme heat, their biological clock was greatly disturbed. They did not know where to go. Even forests were on fire. It was a total carnage for them.
Night is a gift given by the God to mankind / animals / birds for resting and rejuvenating, and the night had stopped for this part of the world. People could not sleep and rest, they started losing their mental equilibrium and control; their sanctity lost, they started speaking rubbish, gibberish, and some even took away their and others lives. Heat was the main culprit for taking away lives. Man, woman, child, aged, young, death dealt with them equally.
All living things were swiftly swallowed up by the God of death. Everybody saw death at close quarters. Children saw their parents and relatives die in front of them and opposite were also equally true in many cases. Their cries filled up the atmosphere adding to the horrors of death. The shadow of death was all around. Dehydration, diseases caused by ultraviolet rays, extreme heat, and shortage of good food and protection played havoc with their lives.
One bucket of water was fetching 1750/- to 2000/- rupees in India. Government water tankers were being looted on the way. People even killed drivers of supply trucks and looted things. Without values individuals can run amok. Even police or military was not able to handle this kind of complete anarchy and chaos.
‘WHO’ had given out guidelines, Govt. agencies also published informative pamphlets in order to bring some semblance of order and to help people. They were informed regularly about duration of daytime, possible temperature variations and safe locations. Even then people could not take right decisions.
Under such conditions, it was most difficult task for the employees of Tsunami, warning centre to remain present during such hard times. Center’s staff showed their mental strength and loyalty toward the nation and carried out their duty. To win an Olympic medal was nothing against such show of duty and dedication. Villagers who had left hopes of survival and stayed back to meet their end peacefully also helped this major Tsunami warning centre.
In this crisis one man who stood up against all odds and gave an extraordinary example of service to mankind was none other than L. Unnikrishnan, who happened, to be the head of this centre. He had lost his parents in his early childhood and was raised by his maternal uncle. He had struggled hard throughout his life and reached to this present prestigious position. He had visited many countries, America, England, Germany, Russia and Japan and acquired top knowledge in the field of tsunami science.
He not only worked day and night at the centre but also helped local people to provide guidance & support to fight this natural disaster of extreme temperatures.
At the centre the instruments of warning system were very important but more important were those electronic instruments which were being used for alerting the people.
Such instruments were mobile, internet, fax machine, Radio and Television. These were very vital when the Tsunami is imminent and approaching to warn people in advance.
USGS department had already warned across the world that due to present behavior of the earth many different kinds of natural disasters could be expected like earthquakes, flooding, tsunami, volcanoes, torrential rains, typhoons, and hurricane.
As a scientist L. Unnikrishnan also thought this could be possible but he doubted that the people would withstand such new additional disasters.
A tsunami can be generated when convergent plate boundaries abruptly move and vertically displace the overlying water. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and other mass movements above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami. Tsunamis have a small wave height offshore, and a very long wavelength, which is why they generally pass unnoticed at sea, forming only a little swell usually about 12 inches above the normal sea surface. Ships rarely notice their passage. However, they grow in height when they reach shallower water. This enormous increase in wave height can devastate the coastal regions.
At the coast line this wave can reach up to the height of 45 feet. Very advanced third generation DART-3 was in use to detect Tsunami. A DART station consists of a surface buoy and a seafloor bottom pressure recording (BPR) package that detect pressure changes caused by tsunamis. The surface buoy receive transmitted information from BPR via an acoustic link and then transmits data to a satellite, which retransmit the data to ground stations for immediate dissemination to tsunami warning centers. The commercial satellite phone network is used for communication between the buoys. When on-board software identifies a possible tsunami, the station leaves standard mode and begins transmitting in event mode and reports water pressure and temperature (which are converted to sea-surface height) every 15 seconds.
The Indian government had sent Unnikrishanan abroad for further studies at the University of Southern California. He had also prepared a research paper. This was published in leading scientific journals. It showed possibilities of Tsunami in Indian Ocean which could devastate coastal areas of Western Australia, Singapore, Somalia, Madagascar, Indian western coast line, Sumatra, and Sri Lanka. Any way it would be a wise step under such situation to keep everything in order and functioning. He had somehow managed to fix reflectors to save important gadgets from hot sun rays. He too came out side adorning an umbrella with reflectors. The Sun had moved the distance in five hrs. which should have been moved in one hour. He looked at the watch; shift would get over in few minutes. He saw a lone man walking toward the building. He was conspicuous by his lone presence around the area. When he came closer he recognized him. He was Keshav, “Oh! Keshav. Is that you? Why didn’t you come on bike?’’
‘’No, petrol sir, petrol pumps are closed; they give petrol to government vehicles only. MP Sir sent me so I had to come here,’’ he could barely speak because of extreme heat. He was thirsty too. He must have walked at least three miles.
‘What do you want Keshav, tell me?’
‘Sir, I want that big hand drill you have.’ ‘Drill, why?’
‘MP Sir has already got five ACs in his bungalow. He still wants two or three more. God knows, only he feels the heat. Look at me sir, see my skin, it is covered with bubbles. He did not even give the vehicle he said that go by walk otherwise he would shoot me, I am not afraid ‘sahib’ but I am loyal to him. Please, give me water first, and then the drill.’
‘You come with me’, Unnikrishanan closed his umbrella and they both went inside. When Keshav felt alone he put his head on the shoulder of Unnikrishanan and started crying.
“Why! Why? What is this?’
‘Sir, Kanta, my wife died, two children also could not survive. Tears swelled up in the eyes of Unnikrishanan. He knew him since many years. Keshav was simple and innocent man.
He was always ready to help others. He really believed that while serving others we are paying rent for our stay on earth.
He consoled him, ‘Do not lose courage now.’
‘But sir, for whom should I live; now I have nobody in this world. I too wanted to leave this town but somehow could not manage to do so. And this heat took their lives. I am responsible for their deaths, Sir.
‘Please, Keshav, this is everywhere, you are not responsible,’ then Unnikrishanan shouted, ‘Tribhovan bring me the drill, it is inside that green cupboard. Give it to Keshav.
Keshav took the big drill and started walking away. His steps were stumbling; there was not much strength left in his legs. Unnikrishana’s eyes and soul wept silently. Mehta entered the Lobby, he was breathing heavily.
‘Yeah, what is it Mehta?’
‘Sir, you come with me.’ Both almost ran into the Lobby toward main hall. Seeing them the staff went into an alert position. Seismograph’s needle was recording vibrations. Unnikrishnan saw it for few moments and said, ‘okay it is normal activity.’ He remained unperturbed and efficient. ‘It is recording P-waves, but any how informs me every ten minute’s interval.’ He left the centre. After him seismograph also went silent.
