Monsoon rains have finally come this week. Until now it had been mostly "showery", with the sun poking through several times a day. Now it's heavy rain and thick overcast. Overall, the rain has been measured in inches per day -- I would guess at least a foot of rain in the last 3 days.
Nothing dries out -- least of all towels. Our bedspread feels wet, and the bed itself feels damp. There is also water oozing through the walls and one or two minor leaks in the roof.
Flooding has been a problem. The railroad tracks have flooded at times, and then the trains have to creep along. Yet it's amazing to me how quickly everything drains. An hour or two without heavy rain, and most of the puddles have drained from the roadways. Some of the schools have also closed for "rain days" (as opposed to "snow days"!) when the streets have too much water for the children to get to school.
Even the cows are seeking shelter from the rains. They congregate under the fly-overs and take shelter under shop awnings. Unfortunately, a goodly percentage of the population have no permanent structure to call home. I can't imagine living in a make-shift tent in a muddy field -- as all too many have to do.
But all this rain is needed to store in reservoirs for the 8 or 9 months of the year with no rainfall. Monsoon gives life to India.
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