KOCHI: A strange sight greeted people on MG Road in Kochi on Sunday. While they were avoiding the water that had accumulated after the heavy rain, one person was standing in the inundated portion, sketching.
It was Vishnu Shaji, an artist from Chalakudy in Thrissur. His feet firmly planted in the water, Vishnu was drawing the scene before him: Vehicles passing through the waterlogged road with Kochi Metro pillars in view. He added a person drowning and a fish, elements from his own imagination.
“The sketch is my way of expressing anger at the authorities concerned for their inaction which turned Kochi into a pathetic place after just one hour of rain,” said the 27-year-old who reached the city in the morning for some work. He was out on a walk to take in the sights of the city when he saw the flooded road.
“Kochi is the most beautiful city in Kerala. However, the authorities ruined it with unscientific construction and poor upkeep. So, I took out my charcoal and drew what I saw. This is my way of raising my voice against the authorities who failed to do their job and ruined the city,” he said.
Vishnu said Kochi is now congested with buildings and traffic blocks. “On rainy days, it is a nightmare to walk, let alone drive, around the city,” he said, adding, “When I saw the inundated road, I visualised a person drowning and shouting for help. I added a fish swimming while vehicles passed by, splashing rainwater on it,” he said.
People of Kochi, he said, had forgotten to love and admire art.
‘Everything is covered, no place for rainwater to go’
“All the people care about are business and politics. The repercussions of not caring enough about mother nature lead to such damage. These are all man-made crises,” said Vishnu, who is also a theatre and drama artist and has worked on art films.
He said instead of constructing a scientific drainage system with enough openings to channel the rainwater into the drain, the officials had covered everything up with tiles. “Most of the land here is now covered in concrete, leaving nowhere for rainwater to go,” he said.