 |
| Vadivali Lake - A view from the Native Place Guesthouse |
The monsoon did not start so well this season. There was an
air of concern at the Native Place guesthouse. All our staff and most people plant
rice and the delayed rain was definitely a problem.
With the signal of the first rains most people had planted
out their paddy seeds (they usually save up seed from the last harvest to use
the next season) now with the rain playing truant the sun scorched the young
paddy seedlings. People had to bear the expense of buying seed and replanting.
 |
| Water level on the 21st July |
The next question was would there be enough rain to fill up
the lake. Our gaze turned to the lake in front of us and the brown banks all
around it. Each time we visited the guesthouse
I took pictures from my balcony to monitor the levels of the lake.
 |
| Imperceptible change in level on the 27th July 2014 |
Last week we drove up to Native Place on Wednesday evening.
It was dark when we got there but the next morning (Thursday) I woke up
excitedly and stepped out into the balcony camera in hand hoping for a steep
increase in levels and there it was – yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah the lake is full. The paddy is thriving in the fields and all is well in our world.
 |
| 3rd August 2014 - Full to the brim |
The rains played truant in the month of June but thankfully
made up in the July.
Astrid Rao
