GONGONI (GANGANI) - THE GRAND CANYON OF BENGAL

Gangani (gongoni), which is popularly known as the “Grand Canyon of Bengal” is situated near the small town Garhbeta of west medinipur district in west Bengal. This beautiful place is situated on the banks of river shilabati which is locally known as “shilai River”. Gongoni is locally known as “gongoni danga” or “gongoni khola”. The place projects the beautiful handi work of Mother Nature, who has build a fascination gorge of red soil which resembles miniature verson of the “Grand Canyon of Arizona” in USA. The place got this beauty through years of soil erosion with the assistance of the river. During monsoon season the river flows through the gorge and the entire stretch becomes picturesque.

The summers are warm with the maximum temperature rising to 42 degree Celsius. The winter season remains comfortable and the minimum temperature of this season is 10 degree Celsius.

The prime attraction of this place is the “ Shilai River” and the beautiful river gorge of gongoni, but there are lots of old temples in and around garhbeta. The place gongoni is pleasant and beautiful in each and every time of the year. But during monsoons when the river enters the gorge the place becomes more beautiful. At this time the fisherman are found around the place with their fishing nets.

There is a local folklore that Pandava prince Bheem (As in Hindu epic Mahabharata), stayed here the demon Bokasura who lived in this Canyon.

There is a mass of earth in the gorge, which looks like huge temple with a small cave at this bottom. Standing in front of this structure, it is hard to believe that this is a natural rock formation. Local people say that this was the cave where demon bokasura stayed and it is where the fight took place.

Either it is nothing or it is something more than extraordinary. The scenic beauty can mesmerise on the field overlooking the colossal ruins of gongoni. It is nature’s best creation at its best. With the Shilaboti river flowing through a deep gorge and the adjoining places taking the form of different shapes and figures because of erosion, it’s a treat of eye. The formations of gongoni on the wall of the gorge spreading from east and west are something similar to the archaeological sculptures of Ajanta and Ellora but the only difference is that the ones at gongoni were not created by human hands. There was a pagoda shaped formation that caught the attention from a distance. Unless known before hand one would never be able to identify that it was an effect of erosion on rocks, not a man made shrine. It is really a astonishing how effortlessly nature can make such creations.

When the evening falls slowing the red colour of the walls of the gorge of gongoni was further depended by the rays of the setting sun. The whole place seemed to be on fire. Slowly the light died and soon an absolute darkness engulfed the place. It is a very much popular shooting place. Now there shooting is going on.

In a word, gongoni is the example of nature’s beautiful art which can make a person mesmerised at a glance. 

Present Biggest Issue : GLOBAL WARMING

Global warming means the change of surface temperature from 1880 to 2016. Global warming and climate change are terms for the observed century scale rise in the average temperature of the Earth’s climate system and its related effects. Multiple lines of scientific evidence show that the climate system is warming. Many of the observed changes since the 1950’s are unprecedented over tens to thousands of years.

 In 2014, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) fifth assessment report concluded that, “it is extremely likely that human influence has been that dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid 20^th century”. The most harmful human influence has been emission of green house gases- such as carbon di oxide, methane, nitrous oxide and CFC. Our activities have led to carbon di oxide concentrations above levels not seen in hundreds of thousands of years. Climate model projections summarized in their report that during the 21^st century the temperature of the global surface has increases further 0.3 degree C to 1.7 degree C (0.5F to 3.1F) for their lowest emissions scenario and 2.6 degree C to 4.8degree C(4.7F to 8.6F) for the highest emissions scenario. These researches have been recognized by the national science academics of the major industrialized nations and are not disputed by any scientific board of national or international standing.

Future climate change and associate impacts will differ from region to region around the globe. Anticipated effects include warming the temperature of the earth, rising the sea water levels, precipitation and expansion of deserts in the subtropics. Global warming expected to be greater over land than over the oceans and greatest in the Arctic of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice.

Possible societal responses to global warming include mitigation by emissions reduction, adaptation to its effects, building systems resilient to its effects, and possible future climate engineering. Most countries are parties to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), whose ultimate objective is to prevent dangerous anthropogenic climate change. Parties to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change have agreed that deeps cuts in emissions are required and that global warming should be limited to well below 2.0 degree C (3.6F) relative to preindustrial levels with efforts made to limit warming to 1.5 degree C(2.7F).

Public reaction to global warming and concern about its effects are also increasing. A global 2015 few research center reports shown a medium of 54% consider it “a very serious problem”.

Effects of Global Warming: There are two types of effects of global warming-

a)      Present time effects of global warming.

b)      Future time effects of global warming.

 The effects of global warming are the environmental and social changes caused (directly and indirectly) by human emissions of green house gases. There is a scientific consensus that climate change is occurring, and that humans activities are the primary driver. Many impacts of climate change have already been observed, including glacier retreat, changes in the timing of seasonal events, and changes in agricultural productivity.

Future effects of climate changes will vary depending or climate change policies and social development. The two main policies to address climate change are reducing human green house gas emissions (climate change mitigation) and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Geongineering  is another policy option.