Is Kerala heading to a point of no return?
In case you are on a visit to Kerala then you would be spotting many hoardings with interesting names like Mountain mist, cloud nine, Misty meadows, Green Valley and many many more all along its highways! In case you thought that these were verdant nature parks and forest trails, that Kerala was once famous for, you would be in for a shocking surprise. These are nothing but names of apartments, hotels and home stays that try to lure you with these attractive names, that evoke a Kerala feel!
Kerala was once a land of misty mountains and green valleys; however now a days, all we have are these tasteless concrete structures that have sprang up all along Kerala! For those who are visiting this State after a long gap, this change would be far more evident and distressing. 
Unfortunately, Kerala has become a haven for the land mafias and land grabbers where you can buy a hillock, encroach into the backwaters , fill the fertile paddy fields or even sneak into the fragile eco zones and wild life sanctuaries by greasing the palms of the concerned officials. The cash flushed NRIs and the mass tourist trails have indeed left its impact on the unique ecosystem of Kerala.
As the pressure on the natural resources is on the rise by the day, Kerala has long ceased to be God’s own country. Before we head to a point of no return, we all need to put our heads together to make sure that we preserve the landscape and natural beauty of Kerala, which can only ensure the growth of tourism in future. Let us not put our rivers, lakes and paddy fields for sale, for a few pennies. The need of the hour is sustainable tourism on the lines of Kumbalangi village or Lakshadeep , where there is a clamp down on commercial activity and constructions.
The new visa regulations and the escalating costs have brought in a sharp decline in tourism in Kerala and if we fail to heed to the warning signals, it is only a matter of time before Kerala is pushed into oblivion in the global tourist map.
The earth has enough for everyone’s NEED, not for everyone’s GREED.
Pics that should make you sit up and think…
Water-logged paddy fields near thakazhi in Alappuzha district, photographed from a running train on a rainy morning
These are not just photographs that capture the Kerala landscape on a rainy morning. These are pictures that should make you sit up and think…
Thoughts that flash across my mind:
*Such vast farmlands and we are forced to buy rice brought in from neighbouring states, packaged and sometimes even adulterated and coloured, sold to us at exorbitant prices…
*Paddy fields disappearing from the Kerala landscape and flats taking their place in urban and semi-urban areas. So, are they going to come up with skyscrapers here too in Thakazhy? Can’t say…
*How far would the future generation be able to identify with Thakazhy Sivasankara Pillai’s acclaimed novel ‘Randidangazhi’? Well, maybe we got to preserve such photographs for posterity…
*What would poets and lyricists write about in future when we will be having paddy fields just for namesake and rivers and lakes all drying up?
I just wish we all- each one of us- see this as something personal and sit up and think of doing something, rather than blaming others…Better late than never…
We can do it! We can preserve and conserve it all, for our sake, for the sake of posterity…
The changing rain spectacles
Gone are the days when the croaking sounds of frogs were always associated with the rains in Kerala , simply because these days we hardly see any frogs around. Rains and frogs share a close relation. An amphibian, which also breathes through its moist skin, frog needs water for its survival and this could be the reason why frogs wait for the rain clouds. Even today, in many villages in North India, frog marriages are held to appease the rain gods. However, with the change in the climatic conditions and the destruction of wetlands, frogs are facing a serious threat. I was surprised to note that for the last many years not even a single frog was spotted in a pond near my house, which was once the spawning ground of bright yellow frogs. Till the recent past, we could hear the loud croaking calls in various intensities all night and the whole pond would take in an yellow hue!
Things are equally bad for snakes as well. A poet of yesteryear had sung that ‘snakes have burrows, birds have skies and man alone does not have a place to live‘ in one of the most popular songs of a Malayalam movie. However, now the lyrics of the song has lost its meaning as man has invaded the whole of ground, sky, water and even space as his home, leaving all other animals homeless and distressed. As the pressure on land increases by the day, conflict between man and animals is assuming alarming proportions. Last week a fully grown viper got into the sitting room of a posh villa, luckily the inmates found it in time so a tragedy was averted. The residents are now using poisonous chemicals to keep off the snakes , knowing fully well that these highly poisonous chemicals could be carcinogenic if used continuously.
In the olden days, every homestead had a sacred serpent grove where these slithering creatures were revered. I still remember my vacations which I used to spend in my village in Trichur district. A visit to temple was something that we all cherished as kids. A stroll along the embankments of the paddy fields at dusk, often under the guidance of our grand mother was fun. Very often we’ll come across snakes in the paddy fields and the bushes nearby.
A long snake with a pale yellow tinge that seems to be in no hurry to reach its home- it is a harmless , ‘chera, it wont do anything’ grandma would whisper as we walk past. She used to make sure that the kids are well acquainted with the different types of snakes so that they can distinguish between the poisonous and the nonpoisonous varieties. The slender, medium sized snakes that swoosh past the water in the brooks and paddy fields are also non venomous snakes. But watch out for the short and stout snakes with dark bands over it. These could be highly poisonous viper or cobra and it is better not to mess up with these- she would add hastily. Not even once she urged us to kill the snakes the moment we spot it! This sharing and caring attitude is missing now and this could be the root cause for all problems. So it is high time that we lend an ear to the age old sayings and practices of our forefathers to make sure that we ensure a fair chance to live in this universe for the future generations!