I came to Bangalore 15 years ago and used to stay in Vidyaranyapura last stop. While I used to always be worried about the distance that I had to travel from there to Residency Road, if I look back today, it was probably the best times that I ever had.
There were so many times, when I would just take a walk early morning at 6 am from my home to the office at Residency Road. On hindsight, it were the best days of my life when walking such a long distance used to help me think about so many aspects of my life, my future and life in general.
It used to be a calm walk, the area was just not jammed up as it is now. I had a chance to visit the area few months ago and was taken aback by the development that has taken place.
Previously there were so many greens in the area, but now it is all concrete. There are so many people and vehicles. Now, I don’t think I would even dare to take a walk from there to the CBD. Bangalore has changed but for people like me who have lived in it with the greens and lesser pollution, it will always be a place that has changed for worse.
For the newer generation or people who have just come in when the transformation is happening, will not feel anything wrong. For them, it is just necessary development. For me, it is killing of calmness.
There was so much of innocence everywhere then, now there is ounces of malice in the air. The necessary evil called development has eaten up almost all the innocence that was abundant in every day life in those days.
But, yes, we have to move ahead and what else can we do but to live with malice thinking that it is the new generation avatar of innocence.
With opportunities galore, it no wonder that space is shrinking. While horizontal expansion is increasing the limits of Bangalore, vertical growth is rampant. But then where are the necessary natural resources to sustain such growth and expansion. Greens are important and so is water. But the reliability on tankers and indoor gardens is just taking away the original freshness of life.
Thankfully, the government and the responsible authorities have been considerate enough not to tamper with the greens space of Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park. But I am insecure at times. I keep wondering as to when a heavy pocket builder will find his way through to build apartments in these spaces. I just hope that the day never dawns in Bangalore.
Luckily I am currently staying in Jayanagar, an area where there is indeed no space for anymore construction to happen and thankfully, the authorities have also ensured that the greens in the area are not touched. But there are so many areas, where I just wish, life could be more serene.
(The writer is a resident of Jayanagar)
Likes
Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park
Cosmopolitan culture
Cultural scenario especially music, art and dance
People involvement in saving lakes
Corporate culture
Dislikes
Disappearing greens
Concrete jungles
Traffic
Pollution
Water shortage, abundance of garbage