After an interval of over six years, I am back at my hometown Kochi. Another twist in the tale for me, and as my favourite star Mammootty said in the block buster Big B, “Kochi is not the old one. But, I am still the same old guy.”
The city is trying desperately to expand in all directions and is becoming more metropolitan in the process. While earlier the immigrants were limited to certain pockets and the heart of the city, these days we come across people from outside Kochi and Kerala at almost every small junction in Ernakulam district. The city is showcasing itself as “The most desirable residential address in Kerala”, which I don’t approve of. Still it is obvious that if you are in Kerala, Kochi is the place to be.
The traffic congestion has only gotten worse over the years and continued negligence by the civic authorities has ensured that mosquitoes, civic hygiene and waste disposal are worse than ever. The movie halls continue to test the patience of viewers with two or three power failures each show!! The promised bus stand is still to materialise and the LDF Government has successfully sent the Smart City Project to hibernation. Metro rail and other infrastructural projects that should have been implemented over a decade ago are still being debated, planned, re-planned, scrapped, and implemented?????
Just like me, Kochiites have also retained their skill to get used to any conditions and live on. They still manage to put on a smile where many others would have simply collapsed. Way to go dear Kochi....
No comments:
Post a Comment