The rainy season is loved and enjoyed by all. The joys of the rainy season are so common that many times we are asked to write essays on the rainy season by our teachers in schools. So many authors have written about it, which makes this season even more interesting.
What is the Rainy Season?
Also known as monsoon, the rainy season is a season cherished by all of us. It infuses happiness and brings back memories of our childhood in our lives. As children, we used to thoroughly enjoy the rain and it felt free and reckless when we would go out and play in the puddles on the streets.
In India, as much as the rainy season is enjoyed this way, it is a season that is of utmost importance for the livelihood of more than half of the population. The importance can be estimated from the fact that the rain lord is worshipped in the summers by the farmers for the wellness of their seasoned crops.
The Himalayas are the main reason for the monsoon in India. The Himalayan Range stops the winds containing moisture and this leads to the formation of clouds. They then travel to north-eastern states which causes rain there. From there, the monsoon winds are carried to different states through the ocean.
Rain gives new birth to life on earth. With its showers, everything experiences a sense of freshness that can’t be put into words. The Earth, with all the biodiversity of plants, trees, animals, birds, and human beings, dances to the song of rain.
Why Do We Have a Rainy Season?
The Earth spins around the sun and around its own axis. While it spins around its own axis, it produces day and night. On the other hand, Earth spins around the sun in its elliptical orbit for 365 and 1/4 days to complete one revolution. The Earth is a little tilted with respect to its orbital plane, which is the main reason that contributes to seasonal change.
When the Earth’s axis tilts towards the sun, it is summer for that hemisphere. When the earth’s axis points away, then you may expect winters to follow. This is the major season for the subtropical climate of India. On top of that, we do have a rainy season in India as well. Why does that happen?
During the summer season, we are more tilted towards the sun. The desert area of the West, including the Thar desert, is heated up more than 45 degrees in the summers. This heat results in the creation of a low-pressure area over that region. At the same time, a high-pressure area is observed from the southern Indian Ocean. Likewise, as it is wont to do, the air moves from the high pressure of the southern Indian Ocean to the low-pressure area.
Now, these winds carry a lot of moisture in them as they have traveled their way from the Indian Ocean. This then precipitates over the midlands of India and nearby countries, which is most commonly called the “Rainy Season”.
Why Do We Need a Rainy Season?
We need a rainy season every year for a variety of reasons. Some of the most important ones are mentioned below:
- Rainwater increases the level of underground water i.e. water stored in the aquifer.
- Rain maintains the temperature of the earth and keeps balance in the moisture content.
- Rain fills up dried ponds, lakes and other water bodies, and increases the level of freshwater.
- It is the core of life for human beings, since it provides us with water, a basic human need.
- Rainfall is a major source of irrigation for a variety of crops in the country, which directly has an effect on the amount of food grains produced for the year.
- Water is an important source for the production of hydroelectricity.
What Makes the Rainy Season the Most Important Season?
People, irrespective of their age, love and enjoy the rainy season the most. It is the time of year that brings back old memories, makes you nostalgic, and urges you to step out and get wet in the rain shower. People enjoy the rainy season for many reasons and some of them are listed below:
- Water For Survival: We all need water for our survival. Without water, life cannot be imagined on Earth. A cell that is the primary unit of the human body is made up of 70% of water. While it quenches our thirst, it is also an essential source to revitalise human bodies. Digestion and assimilation of the food can be credited to water in human bodies.
- Replenishes the Dry Earth: Rain rejuvenates the earth’s surface. The earth dried up from the scorching heat of the sun gets relief through rain. There is no other bigger irrigation system than the natural phenomenon of rain that can help water the earth’s entire landmass.
- Happy Farmers: India is an agriculture-based country. More than half of the country’s population earns through the agricultural sector. For the farmers, rainfall is quite important. During years when rainfall is scattered or not enough, it leads to a lot of hardships for farmers, driving some of them to even commit suicide when their crops fail. This shows how gravely farmers depend on the rainfall. No one can be as happy as farmers when it rains because their livelihood directly depends on it.
- Watering Plants: Rain is a natural process of watering the plants. There are so many pants in our lawns. Though we might be taking care of the plants at home and watering them from time to time, what about the plants and trees outside the limitations of your sight? Entire forests and tree cover are dependent on rainfall to get their required water levels. Rain is the source of water for more than 90% of plant life on earth.
- Cools Down the Earth’s Surface: When the blazing sun doesn’t stop attacking us from the heat waves, all we have to our respite is the rain. When the sun throws fireballs on the earth, we look at the sky and pray for rain. When it rains, the earth’s surface cools down and we can gradually witness a balance in temperature just after the rain.
- Refills Water Bodies: Have you ever wondered who fills the large water bodies? It is rain! We have heard news from Rajasthan and Gujrat, the arid areas of India, about the drying up of river streams. It is because these areas receive a shortage of rainfall because of their location and other climatic conditions. Rain is the vital source of maintaining balance in nature and without it all our water bodies and rivers will dry.
- Petrichor: If you love rain, you probably know what this term means. It is the pleasant smell of wet earth that follows just after the rainfall. Although it is hard to explain, the smell of petrichor is one that is soothing in many ways.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water”. He meant that till the time won’t come when we will cry to get water at our homes, till then we won’t know and understand the value of water. So, are we this stubborn and naive to understand the simple need of saving water? If not, then let’s start saving water today!
