The pathetic condition of Kochi city

I was born and brought up in Kochi and have spent the last 27 years of my life in this wonderful city. I have seen it grow from just another city to THE city in Kerala and have relished every part of this growth. I am one of those biggest fans of Kochi and would not even think about trading life in Kochi with anything else in the world. I strongly believe that this city is aptly titled "Queen of the Arabian Sea". But, the condition that the city has been in for the last 2 months is pathetic; to say the least. The readers of this blog might have already come to know about it thanks to the media attention this city is getting (though for all the wrong reasons). The less said about the condition of the roads, the better. MG Road which was the pride of the city till recently has turned into a nightmare. So are Banerji Road and Shanmukham Road. The Ernakulam North Railway Overbridge has potholes that are deep enough to hold at least 10 people inside. Chittoor Road suffers from low quality tarring. There once existed the Kaloor- Kadavanthra Road in two lanes but it is not possible to see even traces of tar on that road now. Waste Disposal is another major issues that is plaguing the city with the threat of a plague outbreak looming large. The waste treatment plant in the city is getting solid waste to the tune of 10 times of what it can process on a daily basis. The Mayor, the District Collector and even the Courts are now discussing this issue with Public Interest Litigations (PIL's) flying left, right and centre. Chikungunia and Tomato Fever figure next in the list. The viral outbreak has created havoc all over the state with the onset of the monsoons and Kochi city is no exception either. With water logged streets that are anything but clean, mosquitoes (who are the carriers of the virus) are having a hell of a time making the residents experience HELL in all its manifestations. In spite of wide spread protests, demonstrations and pleas for action, nothing constructive is happening. With the onset of the auspicious month of Chingam, there will be lots of activities in the city. Shopping as a prelude to Onam, the boat races, the Middle East Kochiites coming home on vacation, the tourists who visit the city to enjoy the Onam festivites, the number of weddings that have been scheduled for the season and many more. In the middle of so much of action, how are we going to manage the Onam season is the million dollar question. Kochi turns into one hot bed of action every Onam. This time around, no one knows how the city is going to react to all the inactions of the authorities in an otherwise action packed season. Let us wait and watch and try to be as optimistic as optimistic can get while doing so!