THE monsoons came earlier this year. But they were not unexpected.

The very people who had been warning us of a terrible summer with its punishing heat had also cautioned that the rains would come early and would come down hard. And yet, the country continued to be distracted by the usual business of politics.

It is no wonder then that the ferocity of the rains took most of us by surprise in the mountains, in the plains and in the cities — both those we claim are well run and those where the governance crisis is so severe that we discuss it ad infinitum.

Partisan views aside, there is little evidence anywhere of any of the governments — provincial or federal — being prepared to deal with the rage of climate change. In fact, in most places, when nature spins out of control, it is helped in its destruction by the mistakes of governance.

The mistakes have not been addressed even though it has been three years since the super floods of 2022. The havoc that the deluge caused should have convinced us to change our errant ways. But it seems that it has not.

The rains, their pattern, the rising temperatures, even the pollution in winters — how often has everyone been warning about them and about what some of these factors mean for our mountains and glaciers? But governments are said to have encouraged or turned a blind eye to those wielding the axe. According to those who keep an eye on the issue, the rate of deforestation has a........

© Dawn