In the enchanting world of urban paradoxes, where concrete jungles sprout faster than Chrysanthemums, I present a tale of the tragicomedies of our time. Brace yourselves for a journey through the curious evolution of an erstwhile destroyer of ancestral greenery, now turned saviour of the environment - all in the name of "Save the Green."
A few years back, citing the problems of maintaining the old building, my neighbours demolished their 70-year-old ancestral home to construct an apartment complex through a Joint Venture, which resulted in cutting down almost a dozen trees within the compound.
The apartments are built efficiently without wasting space. Bay windows protrude onto the footpath, half the resident's vehicles have to be parked on the streets, and so much so that there isn't even space to grow a blade of grass. Of course, in no time, the apartments got occupied. I was informed that the owner, who had kept a few apartments for himself, had sold a couple. The influx of new money has made the owner's only daughter appear more affluent.
Cut to scene 2: The local government, in all its borrowed wisdom, had decided to build a flyover over a busy intersection, which meant chopping a dozen gigantic old trees around. Naturally, the civil society protested and called for a meeting with the authorities. I read that the participants wanted to "retain old Bengaluru", and the meeting ended with arguing and sloganeering.
Cut to scene 3: The pièce de résistance; the other day, on my way to my friend's place, I stumbled upon a group of people who had formed a human chain around the junction; among the passionate activists stands our protagonist, the owner's daughter, holding a placard that reads "Save the Green." A spectacular transformation from the destroyer of ancestral greenery to the champion of environmental causes – talk about a character arc!
|
| It's like a Shakespearean farce set in the chaos of modern development. The chant 'Save the Green' is an irony that hangs in the air thicker than the smog in a bustling cityscape. |