Verum had gone for a Seer Tribe meeting. After hours and hours of conversations, her ears were nearly ringing. All she wanted was a few hours of quiet time. She entered the dorm room and plopped into her bed. Verum sighed and said, “A nap would be perfect right now.”
But then, Scorch bounded into the room – a ball of enthusiasm and energy. She said, “Hello, Verum! Why are you sleeping at this hour? It’s only 5 pm! Come on, let’s do something fun!”
Verum looked up with tired eyes and said, “You’re right, Scorchie. This isn’t the right time for a nap. But I am too tired to do most things.”
“How about world-gazing?” said Scorch, “Will that help?”
“That is a great idea,” said Verum, “Let me get my crystal ball!”
As she sat world-gazing with her crystal ball, Verum’s expression darkened. Her face looked like the grey skies before a tremendous rainfall. Verum said, “There is news from Kerala, a Southern state in India.”
“What is the news?” said Scorch.
“It poured and poured in Kerala. And with the rainfall, the water levels of the state’s rivers rose higher and higher, causing them to overflow,” said Verum, adding further, “Several houses have been washed away, and with them, even people. That’s why many people are missing. At least 26 people have lost their lives.”
“Because there are so many people missing, won’t the death toll increase?” said Scorch.
“Unfortunately, that’s likely. But rescue operations are on,” said Verum, “Military helicopters are being used to send supplies and personnel. They will help the people trapped in the floods.”
“Kottayam and Idukki are the worst-affected districts in the state,” added Verum, “But over 8,000 people are being provided shelter, food, bedding, and clothing at 184 relief camps across the state.”
“Did opening the dams worsen the floods?” said Scorch.
A dam is a structure built over a river or a stream. It traps water in a reservoir for future use. But when the reservoirs become full due to heavy rainfall, the dam has to be opened so that the excess water can be let out.
“No, the government had warned the citizens and authorities. So, people were evacuated from low-lying areas before the dams were opened,” said Verum, “Experts have predicted heavy isolated rainfall in Kerala for up to four days.”