It’s about this time of year that Cochin “embitten” populace complain of the infestation of mosquitoes during the night, and it is at this time of year that the corporation announces that they are going to do something about it this year beyond the annual theatre of mass fogging of the atmosphere around Cochin.
Of course there is a solution that would be both strategic and have a real long term impact upon the whole city which is the cleaning and flushing through of the numerous canals of the city so that once again they are useable and clean and a fresh resource for the city rather than the squalid and mosquito infested cess pools that they become in the dry season.
Cochin has been slow to recognise the value of their waterways to the city’s quality of life. They have been allowed to wallow in increasing filth, only flowing during the monsoon season. There is no reason why they should not form the basis of an urban transport system with water buses bringing commuters into the city via the rivers. All it would take is a change of direction away from the obsession with four wheelers towards rivers and waterways.
A strategic vision for cochin that incorporated the waterways so Cochin 2020 could be a city of sweet flowing canals and lagoons where every high tide the canals flowed with fresh sea water and the old mosquito problems were a story of the past.
Will anything happen? Let’s hope that the new dynamic Congress administration is a more dynamic and exciting that the outgoing mayor and her team.
James Mcgillycuddy
praveennair
usha123
HunkyHeron
shyama menon
carolane
unnirnair
jisha6
tessajk
jayancm
thanimajose
