The Second Wave
Published on : Wednesday 05-05-2021
These are troubled times for the world in general, India in particular.
This column had quoted from Yuval Noah Harari’s article written in late February 2021, where the well-known Israeli professor had cautioned the world about the perils of ignoring the wider consequences of the pandemic. It becomes fashionable to blame the government at times like this, but the plain fact is such tragedies are often the result of a combination of factors. The single biggest factor is complacency. The human psyche is perhaps conditioned to forget the bad consequences once the moment of crisis is over. Caution was thrown to the winds as social distancing was forgotten, even as crowds thronged malls and movie halls; and private functions and celebrations resumed after months of lockdown. The election schedule spread over two months added to the lethal exposure of the masses to the risk of infection, even as new strains of Covid were reported from various places in India.
The result is the haunting images seen on the TV screens of people rushing their Covid infected kin from hospital to hospital; the mad scramble for essential drugs; the shortage of medical oxygen; and the long queues of the dead waiting for final rites – in short, it exposed the inadequate facilities when these were most needed. This is not the time for apportioning blame. Instead it is time for serious introspection and honest efforts at plugging the gaps so mercilessly exposed in our healthcare infrastructure in order to be prepared for the next wave, which now appears inevitable, given the fact that we are still not fully aware of the nature of this pandemic. It is important to remember the exact words of Harari here: “Why, then, has there been so much death and suffering? Because of bad political decisions.” Harari was not talking specifically about any country. His was a general observation that has come true with disastrous consequences.
This edition of Industrial Automation covers the important topic of Environment Engineering & Sustainability through the lead story and some insightful interviews. The phenomenal development ushered in by the various industrial revolutions has caused a devastating impact on the environment resulting in massive deforestation, contamination of water bodies, pollution of the air we breathe and depletion of the ozone layer that has affected the traditional weather pattern of the Earth. If that sounds bad, there is also the positive side to the story, one of concerted efforts launched by governments all over the world in containing the damage. The lead story and complementary articles examine the various aspects of these efforts and how leading companies are contributing to the campaign for carbon neutrality.
