Back to the Village

Lush green forest, a treat to watch. Circled - 2 elephants

Around the water body came human dwellings. Trees were cleared, dwellings constructed, farms came up and industries were set up to service the people living in the vicinity. The region prospered, started supplying to other regions. Roads were constructed, faster, better transportation infrastructure, storehouses, production methods...

Yes, this is history; the story of development, progress, prosperity.

Yes, this is the story of destruction.

It seems natural, the direction we have taken. From the prehistoric man's struggle with other inhabitants of the jungle to the modern man's struggle for space, it seems inevitable that more and more of that which sustains him should also be destroyed - forests, water, flora and fauna. It is scary, how this Development gobbles everything along the way. Most of it goes into connecting two remote points by land, water or air, destroying everything that stands in its way.

Finally, what will earth be left with? What will man grab to grow?

In destroying nature, is he not destroying himself too? Lifestyle diseases, killing commutes (which kill not only in the literal sense), long working hours in artificial conditions are upsetting the balance in urban lives. In parallel, rural life is also suffering.

In this depressing scenario, sometimes I hear sane voices. Voices that reflect the need to be cautious, march but watch where the next step takes them. Earn, but with responsibility.

More than townships, some builders in Chennai are looking at green constructions beyond just the measurable terms needed for a certification. They are talking of an entire ecosystem being created around the ecosystem - workplaces, educational institutions, commerce - the entire gamut that cuts down the need to commute to reach the place of choice.

More importantly, developing and maintaining a small organic farm within the township to meet the food needs at least partly; composting and solid waste management; rainwater harvesting and water recycling - these efforts maybe drops in ocean, but these are happening.

Do customers understand these benefits? Tragically not. Most are trained only to think of ROI, and only a few want to know how their household can become economically and environmentally viable.

To me, it seems plain common sense that we return to the old village model. Self-sufficient townships maybe the new term for villages, but this is the model we will have to follow if we wish to remain sane. Produce and manage locally primarily and reach out only when needed.

Of course, this model will go through a phase of rigidity and closed mindedness. Then we will try to spread out, build long bridges. But hopefully, by then, nature would have been righted and the destruction can begin afresh.