Morning hues

I woke up yesterday morning and the stillness struck me like never before. The rain-less week was coming to an end and I was hoping for some respite from the hot and humid Delhi weather. Add to that a creaking fan that threatened to collapse any moment and made sound sleep an achievement in itself in my hostel wing, things were not all that rosy. Coming back, not a soul to be seen (six in the morning is when many have finished their third movie of the night!), not a leaf moved, no squirrels running in frenetic play, no birds twittering, absolutely nothing. It was probably the dullest morning I had woken up to for a long time. As I reached out to the tap, it announced compliance with the prevailing boredom. Some pipeline must have burst, I thought, as I made my way to the bathroom below. Same story there as well, ditto in the first and ground floors - no water in the entire hostel. As I clambered up the stairs, counselling whether I should perform my ablutions in another hostel, I heard the guard shout after me, 'Sir! Tanker aa gayaa hai. Paani le lo.' And that's how I got the first bucket of Delhi Jal Board water of my life. Sounds funny? Well, in those circumstances, it was heavenly.

As I made my way back to my room, feeling rejuvenated, I paused on the corridor in front of my room, and it struck me again. How could it be? This was like putting me into a painting. I gasped for breath, but the air that I drew in was warm, and I felt even more suffocated. Something had to give in, this couldn't go on for long. There was a whole day ahead and I didn't want to start it this way. And then, it rained...

I heard the first few drops and as the clouds congregated, something changed, rather, everything changed. Within minutes, puddles of water formed on the terrace, rousing birds, animals and some of the cream around me from their slumber. It was a celebration that I feasted on, enjoying every bit of the fun. It lasted for barely thirty minutes, but set the tone for the day. I knew things would be good. As the clouds gave way and the sun shone brightly, I couldn't think of a brighter morning. Interesting what a few drops of water can do!

Chemical issues

Its been four weeks since I stepped into the pungent environs that would be my third home for the next twelve months ( as thrashed out strictly on day one: six days a week, 9 to 6, even if I have no work and yes, no holidays come what may...). I guess its time I put down my thoughts about the days I have spent in my laboratory. Apart from busying myself with a few chemical reactions and some reading, I have spent some time thinking about how real-life science is full of ironies. Here, I attempt to give shape to one of them, without any offence to anyone.

Science, as is claimed by its champions, is only for the good of life. But in their journey to the altar of truth, we chemists don't mind pumping huge amounts of noxious, deadly chemicals outside our labs (a nearby drain, an open pit or best - the lab next door!). And even if some do, they brush it aside as another of those trivial matters that obstruct one's path to scientific glory. Emptying hexane and acetone is, well,just part of the rigmarole that occurs round the clock in laboratories around the world. And benzene... aah! we love washing our hands with it while setting off on our chemical odysseys. No wincing muscles, no raised eyebrows, no concern, as the concentration of hydrocarbons rises to alarming levels in the air and water around us.

Water - more critical to the origin and propagation of life than any other natural resource, freely flows in and out of our taps. flushing out chemicals dumped into the sink. Another senseless practise that endangers the lives of millions (including the people working in the lab themselves!). Why can't we keep separate bottles for the common solvents used and thrown, and then extract them by simple physical methods known to us for decades? This is a potentially profitable job,on environmental and financial fronts , and should be explored. Imagine making money out of discarded chemicals! Chemical waste treatment is either ignored or left to the city municipalities, who generally have no technical expertise in this area. As a result, chemicals are accumulating in air, water and on land, ready to strike at all forms of life on earth. If things carry on the way they have till now, deaths due to excessive concentrations of chemicals inside our bodies will be commonplace.

Research in chemistry will never stop, and from what I have seen and experienced, disposal of chemicals can, at best, be reduced and monitored. This leaves us with isolation, treatment and extraction of chemicals from waste products as promising areas to address the issue of chemical imbalance in our environment and bring the levels of chemicals in nature to acceptable levels. As chemists and responsible humans, let us act effectively to this end.

What's your problem?

(In conversation with a lab mate who has just joined, discussing each other's projects)

Me: So what do you work on?

Labmate: I work on ... blah blah blah.

Me: Hey, that's cool!

Labmate: And what's your problem?

Good ol' DTC

I am just back in my lab after an hour of getting jostled around in what is the largest environment-friendly bus service in the world. Having grown up with the city, it feels really good to write that. Only if one has experienced the rude congestion of a private bus can he /she relate to the luxury in a DTC. No, the crowd is very much there, sometimes close to 150 people crushed into each other, stomping on each other's feet, tugging at whatever support they can find, reading the body language of the person sitting on the closest seat - prepared to jump on it as soon as it is vacated. Its only in the DTC that you will be readily offered a window seat, and one is tempted to remark 'Aah! Dilwaalon ki Dilli!', but let me assure you, there's absolutely no affection in that act. Twenty years since I came here, I still cant figure out why that happens.

Although the DTC does test your patience sometimes with its absurdly slow speeds and the now-pretty-common rude drivers, more often that not, its worth the wait. For one, it is usually on time, people are slightly better-mannered inside it (another of those inexplicable things!), it doesn't wait till eternity at every bus stop and you are assured to read your destination smoothly. It also gives you that old-world feeling - this is tough to describe and has to be experienced.

My most memorable experiences of travelling in the DTCs have happened in the U-specials during College days. From carefully slipping into it without getting noticed by the seniors during ragging in first year to applauding the lone guitarist strumming away in the mornings during winter - travelling in the Special is just that - special.

That the organisation has been running on huge losses for the last God-knows-how-many years is a pity. I strongly believe that the charges for bus passes, especially for students, should be doubled to start with.

The latest addition to it fleet is the High capacity bus. After a controversial start, it is now running smoothly in South and Central Delhi, with extensions towards East. The buses look good, some are air-conditioned, normal fare is charged and the journey is really comfortable.

All in all, one public service that Delhiites should be proud of. Hats off!