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A few months ago, in March or so, I was in office at my desk, talking happily on the phone. I felt the room around me shake. I put my head down to let this wave of dizziness pass. The desk was shaking too!

A stunned silence presided as everybody froze while the floor trembled and the hanging lights swayed. And just like that, it stopped! We had felt earthquake tremors at work.

What we experienced does not qualify even as a faint shadow of what the world has faced this year. 2011 has been recorded as the year of Natural Calamities.

(in picture: Floods in Ahmedabad, India)

Allow me to refresh your memory.

Take a cursory glance at the major disasters that created devastation in 2011, (January to October):

·        Earthquakes struck Japan, Christchurch, Yunnan, Burma, Pakistan, Virginia, Spain and Turkey.

·        Flood Disasters occurred in Queensland, Victoria, Wollongong, Philippines, Southern Africa, Baluchistan, Rio de Janeiro, China, Mississippi Region and Thailand.

·        Cyclones hit Australia, New Zealand and Fiji

·        Tornados, Typhoons and Hurricanes hit Brazil, New Zealand, Alabama, Joplin, New England and North America

·        Volcanoes erupted in Chile, Iceland, Mexico

·        Droughts prevailed in China and Texas

·        Wildfire occurred in Texas

(in picture: Graph showing number of earthquakes rising year by year)

We heard the stories, saw pictures, and sympathized with the victims.

Then, we turned our thoughts to the more important issues of daily survival.

That day in office, after the tremors had stopped, nervous jitters broke out. Followed by amused applause and relieved humour. And along with it came the silent realisation that if things don’t change soon, someday Mother Earth will have the last laugh. 


- This article has been written by Vidushi Agarwalla, an advertising professional and Copywriter at Green Team Welfare Society