Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Trivandrum Rising

The setting is a serene lagoon, on the far shore of which is a coconut grove. Line upon line of coconut trees rising up as far as the eye can see. A flashy new car draws up on this side of the lagoon. A couple gets out of it, the wife very heavily pregnant. "Why have you brought me here?" she asks the husband in confusion. "Because," the husband replies. "Because... I saw your drawings." The wife gasps in wonder and joy, and the beautiful coconut grove, green and innocent and defenceless, suddenly disappears into thin air. A block of tall buildings replaces it. The ad ends with the name of a popular builder, and a line about making your dreams come true.

I was sitting in the theater watching this, and I couldn't believe my eyes. Were they actually suggesting that it was alright to cut down those beautiful trees and build an apartment block instead? Did they actually expect that anybody would buy a flat there when they were told so explicitly that hundreds of trees would be cut down to build it? What sort of people could think of profiting from such a gross violation of nature?

But this ad is merely a sign of how Trivandrum is changing. The sleepy town that I knew seven years ago is slowly waking up. Stately old mansions all over the city are disappearing one by one. New buildings, multi-storeyed white monstrosities with room for several dozen families, are springing up in their place, changing the skyline of the city for ever. The city is expanding, and these builders are merely catering to the increasing demand for space and comfort.

I have no right to complain, of course. The apartment that my parents are renting is in one such building in the center of the city. My grandmother tells me that this land used to belong to an old Nair family. When the family elder passed away, his three daughters divided the land amongst themselves. The main plot was sold to a builder. The beautiful old house was razed to the ground, and this apartment was built.

It has its own underground car parking. There is a security guard night and day. He questions anybody who wants to enter, and will only let them in once it is confirmed that they are expected. Residents have to carry their own  electronic cards in order to enter the building. This is a place for the affluent, and they need their privacy and security. Who would have ever thought that such a system could exist in Kerala? But standing on the roof of the building, I can see at least three such buildings within a radius of a kilometer, sticking their white bodies out of the greenery.

And more are being built. I visit a grand-aunt who lives nearby. Her house is part of a posh colony in Trivandrum. She has lived there for three or four decades at least. The land is right in the center of the city, and commands lakhs per cent. She must be a crorepati merely on account of owning a house in that area.

However, she has her own troubles. A builder has bought three plots of land behind her house, and is planning to erect an apartment block there. She says, "You know, this house has always been so nice to live in. It has always had excellent sunlight and wind throughout the day. Why, I never even switch on the fan most days! And I've never faced any water shortage - never! But once this building comes up, all those days are over."

I go up on the roof, and I can see what she's talking about. The land slopes down on this side of the house. A wide stretch of trees lies ahead of me; I can see their heads nodding in the wind. Since the other houses are on a lower level, ample sunlight and wind come in from this direction.

But peering over the railing, I realize that that is going to change soon. Construction work is going on in the plot bordering the house. The foundation of a building is being built, and workers are swarming over the site like so many ants. I imagine it rising up storey upon storey, a malevolent monster of concrete and glass, blocking out the sunlight and the wind, dwarfing the little houses around it. Families will come and live in it, and they'll suck up the water in the area, leaving nothing for anybody else. More trees will be cut down, because they'll need space to park their shiny cars.

My heart yearns for the traditional houses. The whitewashed ones with clay tiles covered with moss, and wooden windows lined with bars. An overgrown parambu with coconut trees and banana plants. Jackfruit trees with fat jackfruits hugging the trunk like so many little round babies. Mango trees for the kids to climb, with a swing tied to the fattest branch during Onam. A nalukettu, into which rain thunders with impotent force. Maybe a temple nearby, with a green mossy pond.

I suppose I'm being a traditionalist. Such houses belong to an era long-gone. Change is inevitable, after all. Sleepy little villages have to become busy little towns. Busy little towns have to become polluted big cities. But I'm afraid. I'm afraid that my Trivandrum, the beautiful green Trivandrum of my childhood, is about to lose its lushness, its very personality. I'm afraid that it's going to become just another city.
• • •

17 comments:

Nikhil Narayanan said...

Jade
I hope something still remains.Parts that will have the old shades of goodl old Trivandrum.It is not an impossible task to retain some of the old bits.

On the Sasthamangalam-Vellayambalam stretch almost every empty plot is giving way for an apartment.Old houses are being brought to the ground.[Have a look at that house near the Elankom Gardens bus stop,Dr.Nandakumar's,still in tact, some portion of the land given away for road widening,still!]

-Nikhil

PS:I would soon see you saving up to buy an old Tharavaad, rite?

Narayan S S said...

Our problem is unregulated and unplanned construction. We cannot blame anybody since the demand for housing is always gonna be high in our city.

I like the sleepy yesterdays of our city. I am afraid it would be alive only in our memories.

Jina said...

I totally get what you mean..:(
One of the reasons I loved Trivandrum over Kochi was precisely its old charm n elegance..

Jade said...

Nikhil: Yes, I know something will still remain. But it's heart-breaking to see all these old houses being torn down.

And yes, DEFINITELY! As soon as I become the next J K Rowling and therefore have enough money, I'm gonna retire to a nice Tharavaad in a village. :)

Rockus: Sigh.. Yeah. But would even regulation have been able to prevent this?

Jina: Exactly. Though even Kochi has its nice parts - I really liked Fort Kochi when I visited it last year.

Madhav said...

I feel the same way each time I make a trip to Trivandrum, where I grew up. But like you said, change is inevitable.

Nice post!

Kannan Kartha said...

Like you mentioned, this is inevitable. Kerala being one of the states with highest density of population, this probably cannot be stopped, but then rockus made a good point have it managed better. But real estate mafia is gripping the state from all corners. You should see how Hyderabad is now. It was an amazing city turned into a concrete jungle with no planning.

Jade said...

Madhav: I wish it didn't have to be. :( And thanks for the compliment, btw!

Kannan: Hyderabad probably jumped the gun by trying to turn into Cyberabad too quickly. I hope the folks in Trivandrum are more prudent.

narayanansree said...

THE PAST HAS PASSED AWAY.

THE DEMOLITION CRAZE IS IN VERY HIGH SPEED.

LET US PRAY TO RETAIN AT LEAST SOME PLACES OF OLD HERITAGES TO REMEMBER OUR PAST.

Jambavan said...

I am visiting trivandrum in July after a gap of 4 years. With all these changes im hoping to recognise places atleast :) The unique blend of traditional and the modern was part of wht made my years at tvm memorable. While I am very happy that finally the authorities are waking up to the need expansion of utilities, I hope it is not done at the expense of the natural wealth.

scorpiogenius said...

Nice post!

What we have to realize is that Kerala is @ 3.75 crores and still counting. We need more space for the people to dwell and apartments are the best option.

I'd be happy to see 100 families live in a 20 storied apartment in 1 acre land than the 1 acre land divided into 10 families, each living a cramped life. Apartments leave more open spaces and will reduce urban sprawl. Trivandrum must find space for people coming to her in search of job and also must make sure that she is not lagging too much behind other Indian cities. Trivandrum rising is right, in both ways you've meant.

What we could do is to keep the roads and parks green and clean. Afterall apartments are there in all charming places of earth, including Paris and Amsterdam. They add to the beauty if planned and built in liaison with nature.

So let our city grow Jade, I'm sure she will still be beautiful in 20 years time :)

Ajaypp said...

Hi Jade,
Lol, I can't deny that I don't love the title of the post. Thanks to Scorpio for bringing it to my notice. Nice post, and it agrees with what I believe in - sustainable development. Trivandrum, like any other growing city, cannot afford to insulate itself from growth. That would be a disservice to the needs and aspirations of its citizens. What is critical is to maintain a harmony between progress and the past. Our city has a cultural, historical and architectural heritage which few cities in India can match. I think we have done a good job in balancing the past and the future so far. Trivandrum continues to be one of the greenest cities of its size in the world, not just in India. Let's just try our best to make sure that when it is a global city, it still has this enviable quality. Thanks.

Cheers!

Farcenal said...

The changing face of our country. Sometimes you have to grind your teeth and take the good with the bad.

Jade said...

Narayanansree: Yes, let's hope at least some of the grand old buildings remain.

Jambavan: Don't worry, you'll still recognize lots of places. :) It's just that there will be a lot of white cuboidal things scattered around. ;)

Scorpiogenius: As I already said in the post, I admit that the need for the growth. I'm just wishing that it was happening in a better way. Your suggestion about trees and parks is a good one though.

Ajaypp: Thanks for the comment. Maintaining the balance is definitely the key. It requires a lot of commitment from the city planners, though. I hope they have the required vision.

Farcenal: True, unfortunately. Sigh...

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Jean said...

I know what you mean. And I gasp at the change I see in good old TVM every time I visit. The change is huge and appalling, but apparently some people out there are okay with it.

Anonymous said...

Inferiority Complex still rampant:

Years after the british rule, the underlying unsureness of one's rich heritage is evident in so many, all over India. Malayalis are catching up to it, I guess by caring too much for a skyscraper skyline. We are forgetting the bountiful lush greenery unique to our state. Westerners would kill to have it (even my North Indian friends).

Case in point, the tourism hotspots of Caribbean countries that Americans flock to- they want the green palms and lush scenery- they run from their sophisticated mistake called skyscraper jungle. Look at the crowded concrete jungles in cities all over the world (Rio, Tokyo, Manhattan, L.A). These are slums after 50 years of leaking drains and cramped rooms. High rise is not the answer.

Check out the planned greenery cities in the west. Go for that.

May be a citizen movement of people who care about Trivandrum /Kerala would be a good start (I see a lot of us in this comments page). Where is the TVM city planner/commission? Just wishes: Establish land ordinances (insist on trees in every compound), bldg height control (only up to 10 floors in city, etc), and natural preserved parks (Kavu/Kaddu!).

Watching from abroad, I sense another mistake being made- overconstruction and unsustainable vision for expansion. 1. The mother goose called USA is suffering financially and we are depending on their jobs at Kerala IT parks. 2. Building a lot of flats and housing will lead to a surplus without considering who is there to buy them- see empty houses in Las Vegas and Florida where they built a lot more houses than people and overpriced that there are no buyers.

Instead plan to retain the greenery that we are blessed with, clean the city, control traffic (trams?! from E. Fort to Museum), preserve centuries old temple structures, palaces, forts and have a big picture vision of how Trivandrum will look like in 50 years and go forward.

We should feel in fact superior- see what National geographic saw so unique in Kerala- the real greenery and not the concrete flats scenery. There are enough cities for that. Lets' go the other way and embrace what we already have.

Muttathe mulleyke manam "undu".