Autobiography of a River
I am river. I was born a long time ago
in an ambiguous region in a mountain.
I am combination of several streams.
From the day I was born I was restless
to move on and travel to unknown
regions. Thus, I was bubbling with life
and vigour, ready to overcome any
obstacle that came my way. I
ferociously scurry through the narrow
creeks and bends in the mountains to
begin my journey into unknown lands. I
really feel very strong, invincible and
pure at this point as I move along a
rough terrain with strong
undercurrents. Sometimes I plunge
several hundreds of feet from a great
height with great force. This is known
as a waterfall. As I progress on a
downward trend carrying along broken
rocks and debris, I finally reach the
plains.
At this juncture of my course, I find
myself in the upper plains and observe
my course widening. The water that I
bring down here from the mountains is
made good use of by people settled in
the area. It is quite interesting to see a
good number of settlements on my
banks. People make feel very
important since they feel I am sacred,
holy and a source of life. Along with
small townships, houses there are
temples as well. The scenic beauty
around me is very beautiful and
amazing. From the rough mountain
terrain, I tend to become a bit slow and
slurry in the upper plains. I am the only
source of pure and clean water and I
feel great that I am useful to so many
people. As I move along, I collect a lot
of soil, rocks and debris and become
heavy. Thus I lose on speed and
slowly trudge along the plains.
Leaving the upper plains behind I
reach the lower plains. The soil that I
carry along with me is very fertile and
extremely good for agriculture. I flood
the plains with fertile alluvial soil that
increases the fertility and yield of fields
located on my banks. Several farmers
are dependent on me for their
livelihood and occupation. I water the
fields, which in turn helps crops to
grow in abundance here. This makes
the region prosper and fosters
economic growth. There is always
some hustle and bustle to be seen
here and the scenery is very beautiful
and enriching.
As I move across the plains, I
considerably slow down and begin to
take wide turns and bends. Several
townships have developed along my
banks, which have commercial and
economic importance. These
townships have a varied culture as
well. I have become a platform for
trade and commerce. People carry
goods to and fro across the river for
trade. My water is also used for
bathing, household chores and for
drinking as well.
Sometimes during my course in the
mountains and plains, especially in the
monsoon seasons I carry
overwhelming volumes of water that
causes floods. To control the volume
of water I carry, people have built
dams. I move with great fury and force
during this time, and sometimes even
because a good amount of damage to
civilization. Dams have been built to
store excess water, which is to be
used for agricultural purposes during
the dry season. In the upper course of
my journey, i.e. in the mountains, the
government has developed several
hydel power projects to generate
electricity. The electricity that is
generated here helps industry to grow
and also helps the people living in the
area in the occupation and trade.
In this manner I continue moving along
with no end until I meet the sea. In the
lower course of the river, I play the role
of the creator and destroyer. Several
homes and houses have been washed
away by me during the floods; but at
the same time I am also a source of
new life, especially agriculture. I
deposit fertile soil in the plains that
helps crops to grow, which would
enhance economic growth of the
country.
My goal is to continue flowing till I meet
the sea. This is the last phase of my
journey. Here people have built ports
and factories. This brings about a
certain amount of pollution and
impurities. In the upper course my
water is pure without any impurities;
but in the last phase of my journey I
am unable to retain my purity on
account human activity. Thus my
journey is actually never comes to an
end. I continue to flow eternally with an
aim to be at the service of mankind for
generations to come.
