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Water covers two-thirds of the Earth’s surface, with over 97% present in the oceans and less than 1% in freshwater streams and lakes. Water is also present in the atmosphere in solid form in the polar icecaps and as groundwater in water-bearing rocks deep underground. Water is called a universal solvent because many things get dissolved in it.

Water pollution may be defined as any chemical or physical change in water, harmful to living organisms. It can occur through natural processes. For example, water can be polluted by sediments produced by natural erosion. Water bodies get polluted as they receive a lot of waste produced by human activity. This waste is discharged directly into the water bodies by sewers or pipes from factories and washed down from agricultural or urban areas, especially after heavy rains.

Sources of pollution may be domestic, agricultural or industrial. In the underdeveloped and developing countries human and animal waste and sediments from defective agricultural and forestry practices are the main pollutants. In developed countries, industrial pollutants such as toxic metals and organic chemicals add to the water pollution. This is more dangerous than the pollution caused by human and animal waste.

Water pollution is caused by dierent things. They include excessive plant nutrients, acidification by acid rain and acid mine drainage, organic compounds containing chlorine like DDT and other pesticides, oil getting into water sources through drilling or accidental spillage from oil tankers, the discharge of huge quantities hot water into water bodies causing thermal pollution, fluoride and arsenal pollutants. Now the question comes how can we prevent water pollution? If the water is polluted people and animals easily become sick and die. But we can do certain things to prevent or reduce pollution. First of all industries should not be allowed to discharge untreated chemicals into water bodies, especially rivers and lakes.

Secondly, the domestic sewage system should be designed in a scientific manner. Thirdly, Underground water can be saved from pollution if the land is not exposed to pesticides and other industrial chemicals. Farmers should be encouraged to do organic farming instead of using a lot of artificial fertilizers, pesticides and other such things that pollute the soil and later get washed into the water bodies.

• “Only fools turn to rice-farming for gain.” 
• “The government gives rice to those who don’t have paddy fields.”
• The narrator wants to eat athirika rice but his younger brother is bringing the ration for the household which consists of only wheat! 
• The Chief Minister flying like an arrow to the Centre to clamour for more gains. 
• Can we get some husk from the Centre, too, to makes toys with it?” This is the bitterest satire because he has a doctorate on making toys with husk.

He remembers his father in the fields below his house. He is wearing a handloom dhoti stained with yellow mud. He is excited about the water of the Varanganal canal. He also remembers his little brother carrying the tender saplings to be planted where the ploughing is done. On the dyke baskets full of seeds are kept. There is the noise of shouting as the oxen draw the plough in the field.

The Secretary 

Nature Club 

NSSHSS, Pullur 

7 June 2017

The Director 

Botanical Garden 

Thiruvananthapuram

Dear Sir, 

Sub: Permission to Visit the Botanical Garden The Nature Club Members of this school want to visit the Botanical Garden as part of their educational tour. We are 35 in number, including two teachers. We would lie to visit the place on Saturday the 25* of this month, from 10.00 a.m. We also want to make some enquiries regarding your research projects on food crop cultivation because we also want to do some agricultural production in our school. It has a lot of land which could be used for the cultivation of food crops.

Thanking you and hoping to get your positive reply very soon, 

Geeta Sankar

Secretary

The poem is written in a colloquial style. The poem is a translation from the Malayalam original. A number of Malayalam words are used in the poem. These words will not be understood by foreigners even with some explanations as they would not even know the various varieties of rice that we cultivate here. Such words are ‘athirika’, ‘modan’ and ‘vellaran’.

The imagery is quite good. The picture of the father wearing a mud-stained dhoti and working in his field is very touching. We see the ploughing scene. We can see the rubber trees on the ridge and deal wood trees along the canal. Then we see another picture of the father sitting and watching workers fixing the machine for making rubber sheets. We see the little brother of the narrator running in with the ration and tripping and falling down scattering the wheat he has brought. We see the aeroplane carrying the Chief Minister, flying to the Centre, to clamour for more grain. He is flying over the cash crops.

The stanzas are irregular – sometimes 4 lines, sometimes 5 lines and there are three 6-line stanzas. There is also a 2-line stanza in the end. It is a prose- poem. Being a satirical poem, the style is simple, direct and lucid and it suits the theme.

I think the father is wrong here. I feel that saying that only fools turn to rice farming is an insult to the rice farmers who work hard to give us rice to eat. I suggest that the father should have told his son that any job is good provided one does it well. He should have given importance to the principle of dignity of labour. In my opinion rice farming is a good way of earning one’s livelihood and also a way of making good profits. My neighbour is a rice farmer and he is very rich and he lives in style in a palatial bungalow, with a pair of cars and a few servants working for him every day

The father wears a contented look because he is excited about the water of the Varanganal canal. He is getting enough water from the canal so that he can start his planting. He is happy with his work.

“Handloom dhoti stained with yellow mud” – This line describes a farmer working in the field. He is wearing a handloom dhoti. The field is full of muddy water and since he is working in it, his dhoti is stained by the muddy water, ft implies the hard work of a farmer.

The father says so because nobody promotes the farming of rice. Rice farming was quite inconvenient and the farmer gained nothing. Rubber brings better money. The government gives rice to those who have no paddy fields.

It implies that food crops are replaced by cash/commercial crops. People don’t any more cultivate their favourite varies of rice like athikira, modan and vellaran. Now they survive on their rations which consist of wheat.

There are many changes in his native village. The palm-thatched houses are gone. There are only rubber plants there. There are no rice fields any more. There is no noise of people below. No shouts of ploughing. The whole field is planted with areca nut palms. In the corner, along the canal, there are the deal wood trees which were not there before.

It shows his extreme love for rice. He is a rice eater. For the last 4 years he has been eating chapattis. Now he is craving for rice.

It tells that he loves his village dearly. He has been missing it for long. He wants to reach it as quickly as possible. We see his nostalgic feelings here.