Development & Environment

There are many issues plaguing the country & the state of Kerala. The old adage "All men plume into improving the society and no man improves" can be true here too. Opposing political parties often come as hindrance to any development in democratic governance. This probably is the greatest bane of such form of governments. Except in a very few cases, most of the developmental projects comes to a halt once the political leadership of the state changes. Considering that many of the infrastructure projects have high gesticulation period, this leads to chaos. Most of the entrepreneurs shy out since the return for their investment becomes shaky. Nevertheless all Indian states are calling investors. Some time using Global Investment meets (Karnataka had it in July at Bangalore) otherwise by visiting foreign countries as a ministerial delegation. Recently Kerala had an investment meet titled 'Emerging kerala'. The outcome is yet to be materialized but I earnestly hope some serious investment will be coming up. On the other side, there is always a price to pay for development. Mostly the environment takes hit. Be it new roads, port or power project, big construction is sure to come up. This will lap up some of the fertile land or forest cover. At times there is the issue of land acquisition from private parties and associated hue & cry too. One of the major allegations towards 'Emerging kerala' summit was permission to use the land on long term. Afterwards state government had clarified its position and i guess the row has been subdued. Transportation and Power sector in Kerala remains to be a concern. No good roads are coming up and the road widening/expansion moves in snail's pace. I am not sure when was a major power project was commissioned in Kerala. All proposed hydro-electric projects are opposed for the environmental damage it may cause. In the nearby state of Tamil Nadu, a major agitation is underway opposing koodamkulam Nuclear Power Project. No concrete steps are taken towards renewable energy sources such as solar or wind farms. We can go back to lamps & candles in near future. Speaking of lamps, fueling them might also turn to be a herculean task. Fuel prices (be it Kerosene, ATF, Petrol or diesel) is progressively being taken out of the administered price mechanism. Liquid Fossil fuel reserves of the country are not aplenty. The production and processing capacity is also limited. India is dependent on imported fuel. Any variation in the international market seriously affects prices - not only for the fuel but also all commodities. A rethink on the way we use energy is required at grass root level. Every citizen has to think of ways to reduce own consumption. May be we can shun using energy for luxury and super comfort. Pooling of car, use of public transport, designing buildings in such a way that electrical lighting is not required during day time etc etc Energy conservation is not only our duty but also our responsibility to the future generations. Remember we are using what is rightfully theirs !