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The Greeman of Mehrgarh

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Once upon a time an old man named Chawash lived in a village in Mehrgarh, one of the ancient civilizations of the Indus Valley in Balochistan back in 7000 BCE. Chawash had the knowledge of the scriptures and could understand the signals of nature. He was very intelligent and could predict rain seeing the clouds. The people believed he had been bestowed with a sixth sense.

Mehrgarh, in its early days, was a tapestry of life, with lush verdant forests covering the land. Animals like the cheetahs, lions, elephants – freely roamed the landscape. Birds, from the majestic ostrich to the smallest sparrows, adorned the skies above the humblest village in Mehrgarh. The king of Mehrgarh was very happy and content and got an handsome revenue from the agricultural crops. While the people were very kind, hospitable and content with the king.

However, the tides of fortune changed as time elapsed. As the population of the village grew, the villagers, unknown of the consequences, started to cut down the trees to make space for house-building and woods for fire. The once abduant forest, vital for life, faced the relentless onslaught of deforestion. The animals and birds were rarely seen. With the rain being a rare visitor, Mehrgarh witnessed a drought and famine. The river water dried-up. People faced various diseases and malnutrition. 

The king burdened by the anguish of his kingdom longed for someone to find a solution and bring back the verdant glory of Mehrgarh. 

Then he remembered Chawash. 
"Ministers, dispatch a messenger to seek  Chawash's counsel." the King said.

The other day, a messenger respectfully approached him in a cave, seeking his wisdom to find a solution to the drought and famine of their once-thriving village. The wise old man, with his eyes still closed, listened carefully to the king's plea echoing in the cave.

Chawash listening to the messenger.  Photo Credit: Freepik.com 

After bidding farewell to the messenger, he delved deeper into his mediation. All of a sudden a man in white plain clothes appeared.  

" Open your eyes old man.Get the green and the blue will follow." And then the man disappeared. 

Chawash was completely stunned. He didn’t understand the meaning of the puzzle. All of a sudden, he remembered a term that his father had told him long ago. The term, evapotranspiration, which means trees release water vapor through this process and when trees are cut down, this reduction in transpiration leads to less moisture in the atmosphere, resulting in less water vapor available for cloud formation. It struck Chawash that the mysterious man's message might hold the key to rejuvenating Mehrgarh.

Get the green and the blue will follow.
He ran to the king and told all the story. The other day he gathered the villagers and explained the importance of trees and the dance between the green (forests) and the blue (rivers and water bodies). Chawash emphasized the role of trees in maintaining the water cycle, regulating climate, and preventing soil erosion.Under the old man's guidance, the villagers initiated a massive afforestation campaign. They planted a variety of trees, creating green belts around the village.

The once barren landscape started to transform, and with time, the flora attracted fauna back to the region.As the trees grew, so did the chances of rain. The old man's understanding of the nature proved invaluable. The trees not only added beauty to the land but also enhanced evapotranspiration, resulting in abundant moisture in the atmosphere. Gradually the rain returned and water gushed in the river once again, revitalizing the agricultural fields.

Mehrgarh recovered from the famine and drought. People started to live harmoniously with nature. Chawash, the wise elder, became known as the Greenman of Mehrgarh, a symbol of wisdom and harmony with the natural world.The once-thriving village learned a valuable lesson — the connection between the green and the blue, and how preserving nature was invaluable for the prosperity of both the land and its inhabitants. The Greenman's legacy lived on as Mehrgarh flourished once again.

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