When a flat tyre took me closer to ‘Young India'
I wish to share a heart-warming incident my wife and I recently experienced. On May 25, we were returning to the city after dropping our son at the Kochi international airport.
The IMD had warned of a stormy night. By 9pm, we were indeed witness to it — furious splashes of rain cascading down the windshield. In spite of the wipers' valiant effort, visibility on that busy stretch of the highway was reduced to mere yards.
Though, as a youth, I had once harboured a Wordsworthian wish to stand and stare at nature's fury, that night I had but one singular wish: to support my co-passenger's understandable wariness of the treacherous thoroughfare.
Suddenly, a flash, a thunder. But my experienced hands on the wheel realised — it was not thunder alone. Pulling over at a dark alley confirmed my fear: a flat tyre.
As I broke the news to my better half, it brought back memories of a night years ago when, stranded in a similar alley (albeit without a storm), I had changed a flat tyre of our two-wheeler with both our children on board. But time weakens not only the body but the resolve too. The will to even lift the spare tyre seemed to have ebbed.
Confronted with those old anxieties, what unfolded next felt like a vision I had long held for our country. A Tagorean dream of a young India.
Without being overly dramatic, let me describe the event that followed. This occurred just a few yards from the Pullinchode signal junction in Aluva.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Increased humidity leads to discomfort, despite normal max temp
Ranchi: Residents of the state are experiencing heightened discomfort due to increased atmospheric moisture affecting the body's natural cooling mechanisms, though many areas recorded below normal maximum temperatures. Monsoon is likely to hit Jharkhand between June 16 and 18, weather experts said. The head of the Ranchi unit of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Abhishek Anand, said, "Humidity is rising due to the non-conversion of the moisture-laden easterly wind coming to Jharkhand from the Bay of Bengal, despite normal maximum temperature being recorded across the state, leading to the discomfort. Moisture is not accumulating to form rain." "Monsoon hit Kerala on May 24. However, no progression has been noticed since May 29. A total of 19 districts in the state recorded large deficient rainfall, while five did not receive from June 6 to June 12," he added. On Wednesday, maximum humidity was recorded at 92-94% and minimum at 52%. Dry regions like Palamu recorded 30-40% humidity. If humidity rises above 40%, the temperature feels like at least 5°C more, he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This 1 Simple Tip Keeps Mosquitoes Out of Your Campsite! Squito Stickers Learn More Undo The state is likely to experience light to moderate rain from June 13 to June 19. The maximum temperature would be normal to below normal, ranging between 30°C and 39°C, the Met department in its extended range forecast for Jharkhand revealed. On Thursday, Ranchi recorded a maximum temperature of 33.8°C, a 1.6°C drop from normal, Jamshedpur 35.7°C, a 1.4°C decrease, and Bokaro 37.1°C, a 2.4°C drop. Daltonganj recorded 40°C, the highest in the state, and Chaibasa recorded 36.4°C. Delayed monsoon has been a trend in Jharkhand in the last 10 years. In May, the department had predicted an early onset of monsoon in the state between June 3 and 5, at least eight days before its normal onset between June 10 and 12. The monsoon had hit the state on June 19-20 last year. Grfx: Cities Daltonganj: Humidity 43% (at 5.30pm on June 11); 58% (8.30 am on June 12) Ranchi: Humidity 60% (at 5.30pm on June 11); 74% (8.30 am on June 12) Jamshedpur Humidity 67% (at 5.30pm on June 11); 72% (8.30 am on June 12) (Source: Ranchi IMD website) Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Mint
3 hours ago
- Mint
Northwest, central India to reel under heatwaves over next two days: IMD
Northwest and central India will continue to reel under heatwaves to severe heatwave conditions during the next two days, and southwest monsoon is expected to advance over remaining parts of central and east India and some parts of the northwest from 12 to 18 June, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD). Heatwave conditions are very likely in many places over Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, East Rajasthan, west Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi from 12-14 June, the IMD said in its latest update. Also, it predicted severe heatwave conditions at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh and East Rajasthan on 12 June and West Rajasthan during 12-14 June. In central India, Madhya Pradesh is likely to witness heat waves from 12-13 June. "No significant change in maximum temperatures likely over Northwest & Central India during next 2-3 days and gradual fall by 2-4°C thereafter," IMD said. It predicted that the southwest monsoon would advance over the remaining parts of central and east India and some parts of northwest India from 12 to 18 June and over most parts of northwest India from 19 to 25 June. According to IMD data, 11 June saw the highest maximum temperature of 48.0°C at Sriganganagar in Rajasthan. In northwestern and central India, the maximum temperatures were in the range of 43-48°C over most places of Rajasthan, Punjab, a few places in Madhya Pradesh and in isolated places in Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and East Uttar Pradesh. They were in the range of 39-43 °C in many places of Bihar, a few places of Gujarat and Vidarbha region, West Uttar Pradesh and at isolated places in Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad and Jharkhand. Also, maximum temperature was markedly above normal (> 5.1°C) at many places over Jammu-Kashmir, Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, at most places over Arunachal Pradesh, at a few places over Assam, Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh; and at isolated places in sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar, West Uttar Pradesh, west Rajasthan, east Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh and east Madhya Pradesh. In Delhi, temperatures are likely to remain in a similar range between 40°C to 44°C till 14 June. As street vendors see the highest casualties from heatwaves, the IMD, in collaboration with Greenpace India and various informal associations of Delhi, is trying to make weather forecasting more inclusive and accessible. IMD is supporting the effort by co-creating simplified, user-friendly heatwave warnings in Hindi in partnership with community members, ensuring the forecasts are not only understood but are also actionable. IMD's daily weather forecasts and heatwave alerts are being simplified and translated into easy-to-understand local languages. These messages are now being shared through community WhatsApp groups and being prominently displayed at vending carts, labour chowks and waste segregation points through posters and handwritten notices. "The aim is to develop a grassroots early warning system by leveraging the trust and reach of street vendors, gig workers, and daily-wage labourers as frontline communicators of weather alerts, " said an IMD official. Meanwhile, IMD predicted that the monsoon is likely to be in an active phase with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places over south peninsular India during 12-17 June and over Konkan and Goa during 12-14 June.
NDTV
6 hours ago
- NDTV
Pics: Heatwave Grips Delhi As Temperature Hits 45 Degrees, Red Alert Issued
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Delhi as it remained in the grip of an intense heatwave, with temperatures ranging from 40.9 to 45.0 degrees Celsius across various weather stations. The heat index, a measure of how hot it feels when humidity is factored in, touched an alarming 51.9 degrees Celsius. The intensity of the heatwave is expected to reduce from June 13 onward, with an orange alert replacing the red alert. By June 14-17, Delhi could see a dip in temperatures to 37-42 degrees Celsius, accompanied by light to moderate rainfall and gusty winds, the IMD said.
