"Cleanliness is next to Godliness". But cleanliness to this day remains a distant dream yet to be realized in Kerala, the so called "God's own Country", a catch phrase often used to promote Tourism in Kerala. For the purpose of this article, I limit my views and comments to one prominent city of Kerala, Kochi, often dubbed as the industrial hub of South India.

Kochi is a city that is a winner on many fronts but a pathetic loser on several others. Manorama Online recently brought the story of women being empowered in a mission to make Kottayam 'Clean' and 'Green'. That is a good step in the right direction. I hope the message sinks in the hearts and minds of both the governing and the governed, not just in Kerala but throughout India.

The story of Kochi city is a Tale of Two Cities. It is a city named by the National Geographic magazine as one of the 'Ten Paradises Found in the world'! With Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats towering 500-2700 m in the east, networked by forty four zigzagging rivers and tranquil stretches of emerald backwaters, this green strip of tropical land of Kerala enjoys unique geographical features making it one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in Asia.

With almost one hundred per cent literacy, being the home of centuries-old Ayurvedic Health care and holding a proud record of India's lowest rate of infant mortality and highest life expectancy, Kerala provides world class general health care in par with that of any developed country in the world. 

Her signature attractions include an equable climate, a long shoreline of serene beaches, lush green-carpeted sprawling plantations of rolling hills and paddy fields, white foamy waterfalls, exotic wildlife and fine spicy cuisines and the list goes on. All major religions of the world, most of which were born and nurtured in India, peacefully coexist with their exclusive enchanting art forms and colourful festivals such as Onam, Vishu, Muharram, Ramadaan, Christmas, Easter   and scores of others. Keralites can boast of all this and more because Kerala provides a unique experience and a singular advantage that no other charming destination perhaps offers.

Furthermore, Kochi being a major port city on the west coast of India, houses one of the largest naval bases in Asia besides being the home for a shipyard and recently the home of Lulu Hypermarket, dubbed as 'India's largest shopping mall', the old Jewish synagogue constructed in 1568 and the home to the smart city. 130 crores are earmarked for Kochi Metro in Central budget to further develop the city. Scores of sky scrapers are mushrooming in sporadic locations of the city. This is only one side of the story.

On the flip side, Kochi is also a city that very badly needs to take some urgent measures to salvage itself from its deplorable state of being a garbage dump forming an unhealthy environment. The amount of garbage strewn in the arterial roadways of the city makes no sense at all; instead it makes us sick to our stomach and makes us feel like throwing up. Needless to say such mounts of garbage is a health hazard that provides a breeding ground for mosquitos.

The ugly sight of dogs searching for food I such garbage mounts is appalling. It seems to me that littering trash has become a part of the culture and way of life in Kochi. It is a pity that the Government of Kerala and other responsible Agencies turn their back on the vitally important issue of cleanliness. Unfortunately, this matter gets the least attention while more urgent attention is paid to politics, Bandh and Harthal that serve no other purpose than paralysing city life and suffocating ordinary people who try hard to make ends meet.

I am about to draw a pathetic picture of total lack of cleanliness with special emphasis to the Metropolitan area of Greater Kochi where I spend a few weeks almost every year. Peaceful and pristine, Kerala is also India's cleanest State. Or is it? I am afraid I must paint a not-so-pleasant picture of an unclean city that breeds mosquitos and other harmful insects in its ditches, water systems and roadways.

A proud son of Kerala and a proud citizen of India, I still brag very much of its rich history and heritage extending to many centuries before Christ. I am scribbling these lines hoping to attract the attention of the Government of Kerala and the residents of the major cities of Kerala to a pathetic fact that bother me and millions of visitors who come to the shores of Kerala. Despite the brag that Kerala is 'India's cleanest State', nothing is farther from the truth.

When the City authorities turn a blind eye to the sanitary problems, the citizens shirk off their own responsibilities too. The plight of the city's roadside walls is totally disappointing. There is no limit as to what you can stick on to those walls. Even portions of walls where it is written 'stick no bills' are desecrated with announcements, advertisements, posters on all sorts of  'you name it' subjects
                 
Even areas where the public is specifically forbidden from throwing garbage, such piles of garbage are a common sight. Such piles set on fire by some health-conscious authorities billow smoke from a lingering fire that makes it a constant inferno. Public places such as railway stations and stadiums are no better. In many countries waterfront dwellings are covetable due to its location but waterfront homes in and around Kochi can only add to the already existing miseries since waterways are also used as convenient locations to discard waste. The waste dumped into water is brought up by high tide to the city through ditches on the street, blocking the flow of
dirty water in sanitary channels.

Kerala enjoys tropical weather but it is a pity that some of the tropical benefits cannot be reaped by the Kochi residents. There are fringe benefits offered by tropical weather conditions. In the western world where nature dumps tons of snow people look forward to summer time. People go out to stroll in parks or to enjoy coffee and snacks on a side walk café or even a full scale dinner in a restaurant outdoors.

As the setting sun dips into the ocean, sidewalks are converted to restaurants and coffee shops for people to enjoy their choice food with their favorite drinks.  In Kochi the situation is diametrically opposite. As the heat subsides and the twilight sets in, people rush to their homes   and stay behind closed doors to avoid mosquitos that freely roam around with their horrible music,  ready to poke their stings. In the Western countries People choose tropical style sidewalk café to spend quality time with family and friends when the sun retires for the night in the western horizon but not in Kochi.

Whether the thorn falls on the leaf or the leaf falls on the thorn, it is always the leaf that gets hurt. All well-to-do people stay inside their homes and sleep well at night since their houses are completely netted to prevent mosquitos from invading their living spaces. But just think of those who cannot afford such protection and luxuries, not to mention those who do not have even a roof over their heads. The decision-making authorities live in glass houses while the vulnerable are exposed to such maladies as Dengue fever which cripples their lives or even take away the loved ones.

The 67th Santhosh Trophy took place at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor, Kochi, in March this year. I went by that stadium in March 2013 and I did not have any 'Santhosham' to be honest.

This was a tournament in which 31 State teams participated. The picture below shows how pathetic the side of the main entrance to the stadium looked while the match was in full swing. This is shameful, to say the least. We can and must do better than this.Enforcing laws are as important as enacting them.

Rules and regulations are a part of freedom and democracy because lawless behavior infringes upon the freedom of others to live in peace, safety, security and free from health hazards. The public can do a lot to help the authorities to keep up a healthy environment. For example, if authorities install garbage cans at least on busy streets, the public has the responsibility of tossing the garbage into the cans than on to the street. One compliments the other.

I visited Kochi few months ago. I was travelling in car on a main artery roadway in the heart of Kochi and I was tempted to eat some home grown  "chundillakkannan banana" which is not available in the western world. I ate three of them. When I got out of the car I kept the banana peels in my pocket looking for a place to dispose them. I walked block after block with no luck to find a decent disposable arrangement, finally giving up my search.

Murmuring to myself and hoping to plead guilty at my next confession, I tossed the banana peels into a garbage pile, one of the many on the street. Chain some garbage cans to the electric post for God's sake in our God's own country, I said to myself. I laughed my head off when someone told me that people bring their garbage from home in cars and scooters and toss them to the existing pile on the roadside.  The city authorities can set up guards at the most likely dumping areas, levy fine on them and detain them if necessary. The word will get around and that itself will serve a dose of deterrence. If there is a will there is a way.

Big companies and corporations, especially in the western world, now realize that keeping their employees healthy will increase the production output. Therefore, many of them pick up the gym expenses of their employees who exercise regularly to stay healthy. Wisdom tells us that prevention is better than cure. Healthy citizens are an asset to the city they live in while unhealthy ones only curtail the efficiency of the workforce, helping only the hospitals to prosper which is no prosperity at all.
 
The Government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people must give top priority to its citizens and is duty-bound to keep up a healthy environment, especially in thickly populated cities like Kochi, Queen of Arabian Sea. Though I am fully aware of the manifold ways in which various Media have exposed this subject, my earnest hope is that combing more ashes may eventually turn up a small spark.

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