And Mangaluru grows vertically....

Gone are the trees,big and small.Gone are some of those old sprawling mansions, which had a touch of the refreshing green of the lawn and the rainbow of colours of the garden. Gone are the birds too, i don't know where.
Now what had remained me are just memories and the sense of void. On the main roads and the by lanes huge concrete structures has sprung up, some of them almost sky high. Yes, the omnipresent flats are countless turning this little town into a concrete jungle. No matter where you go, you see laborers at work. They keep cutting down tree after tree ,digging up earth and rising so much of dust; the air is no longer colourless and pure. It bears a faint grayish brown tint due to a combination of the fine particles of dusts and cements. Those who are prone to dust must be suffering.
Despite your daily dusting of household articles, the furniture sports a fine coating of dust by evening. The colour of the furnishing fabric acquires a tint of brown. The din and noise created by the construction activity is a far cry from the sweet chirping of the birds of the by-gone days.
It is true that bread, clothes and shelter are the prime requisites of life. We do need a roof above our heads. but if you go around Mangalore you will find more roof in the form of apartments than the number of heads that seems to want them. Many of the apartments in several buildings remain unoccupied. Some of them are just one-third occupancy. There are number of buildings coming up meant to provide accommodation for at least 40 families but most of the time only one family may reside. Yet, I find that the process of building more apartments has not subsided. There is fresh onslaught on nature everywhere. New areas are cleared for more concrete towers. Some bungalow type are still seen but the skyline is broken by the tall structures looming large in the neighbouring hood. A very few apartments have greenery i their premises. The basement is concrete laid and used as a car parking slot which fetches a tidy sum for the promoters. Several shopping complex have also come up, but they have found no buyers due to exorbitant price quoted. Some of us living the apartments have forgotten the flavour of fresh bay leaves and the children have to go to the Khadri Park to breath fresh air and greenery, for wide open space.
It is true that the old order changes making way for the new. Yes, any changes is a way of life, but we must also know when to call an halt to the change. It is good to have residences, but too much of good things is bad too. It is high time that we do something to conserve nature in Mangalore for its prosperity by preventing its further exploitation and proliferation of the concrete jungle.