Written by Ranjit LalUpdated: October 1, 2025 12:53 PM IST 6 min readWater and gravity are like deuterium and tritium in a Hydrogen bomb. And we are arming that bomb knowing what the consequences can be (Ranjit Lal)Water and gravity are like deuterium and tritium when they get together in a hydrogen bomb – with much the same effect – total devastation of whatever comes in their way. Water vapour evaporating from an increasingly heated earth rises, forming giant thunderheads towering miles high. See these from an aircraft and you will be afraid, very afraid. Then, gravity pulls the trigger and the rain falls in torrents, hammering the land in a hail of silver-machine-gun-like bullets. And gravity is not done yet: as the rain falls on the ground in the mountains or in the plains, tinkling streams turn into ferocious torrents and flash floods, raging down the mountainsides, take everything down with them that comes in their way: houses, vehicles, temples, forests, entire villages. Mountains, like the Himalayas, which are built of fragile, crushed sea shells don’t stand a chance under this onslaught. Entire mountainsides come crashing down totalling everything in their path. We only tend to count the losses incurred in human terms, ignoring the vast numbers of animals, trees and other living creatures that may have been in the way and are destroyed.Even when they reach the relative placidity of the plains, these once genteel streams and rivers swell and reach out in every direction, drowning fields, towns and villages and the livelihoods of millions. Their aim is simple – to reach the sea which may be thousands of kilometres away and gravity shows them the direction they must take to reach it.And now, more than ever before, it is we who are contributing to the carnage, instead of seeking ways of mitigating the problem, we aid and abet it – despite knowing better. Long ago, we realised the immense power being generated by rivers rushing downstream and decided to tap it by building colossal dams, blocking the angry water and channelising it through pipes to generate cheap hydroelectricity. As sediment piled up behind these colossal cement structures in vast reservoirs and lakes, the dams became less effective and downstream of them, the useful sediment that was deposited every year, now jammed behind the dam, no longer provided the nourishment needed for crops.Building these huge structures invariably means the displacement of thousands of locals, usually tribals and adivasis, who have lived in harmony with these waterbodies for aeons, and the felling of vast invaluable forests – all in the name of development. And all this knowing, that if there is one brake that can be applied to raging water, it is trees that firmly pin the soil in place, soak up the water and stabilise the mountainsides. We have the third-largest number of dams in the world (after the US and China) and are now planning a host of dams across the Brahmaputra; throttling this mighty river does not bode well. A waterfall can be an awe-inspiring sight – millions of visitors gawp at the Victoria Falls and Niagara Falls every year (Photo: Ranjit Lal)In another grandiose scheme, we are planning to link together all the rivers of the country – a massively foolish and expensive project. Every river has its own ecology and ecosystem and even joining two of them, for instance the Ken and the Betwa in Madhya Pradesh, will involve the felling of thousands of trees in prime forests. We are shooting ourselves in the foot (and everywhere else) yet again, but then there is money to be made.Of course, those who plan and build these monstrosities, rarely live close to these disaster areas. It should be made mandatory as part of ‘field duty’ for them to spend the three monsoon months right next to any such raging waterbody. There is nothing as terrifying as watching a rabid river ruthlessly undercut its bank, on which houses and hotels (usually built illegally) begin to teeter, crack, lean over and then in slow motion, fall into the turbulent water, to be carried away.We have the most beautiful mountains in the world and, yes, everyone has a right to enjoy them. But not at the cost of the mountains themselves. By building six-lane highways and tunnelling through them recklessly, we are only making them more fragile and liable to collapse, which they do year after year. Tourism may be a great revenue generator – as long as you don’t get trapped behind a landslide for days and your beautiful homestay doesn’t get taken by the water.Story continues below this adIt’s not only the earth’s gravity that makes water swirl. The moon’s gravity makes ocean tides pull and push at the coasts twice every day and they can be immensely strong, too. Coastlines are protected by mangroves, those strange plants with aerial roots, which serve as a buffer against angry, incoming tides. And what do we do? Cut them down – as was done for the coastal expressway built in Mumbai – something that has not only endangered the city, but destroyed marine life – and the livelihoods of the Koli fishermen, the original inhabitants of the city.Also Read | Making sense of the dilemma over stray dogsA waterfall can be an awe-inspiring sight – millions of visitors gawp at the Victoria Falls and Niagara Falls every year. (There are fools who have even tried to jump into them). Smaller waterfalls have their own charm – like the Corbett Falls near Corbett National Park, where picnickers happily bathe at its base. While I have never jumped into a waterfall, I did long ago – fall into the American River near Sacramento and was borne downriver as if I were on an express conveyor belt. There was simply no chance of battling against the current. All I could do was go with the flow and, thankfully, was pulled out by local swimmers before being deposited in the Pacific!© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd