Our cities are dying. They are killing everything — lakes, parks, trees, birds, animals, and now, even humans. Death roads are taking a toll with craters and potholes, even as unruly traffic and manic drivers increase the accident count.
Floods are destroying property and sinking lives, falling posts and trees are adding to the death count. And the new kid on the block, pollution, is emerging as an even bigger threat to the lives of citizens — especially the young.
Environmentalists and civil society groups are raising their voices even higher against the administration to take action and stem the rot. But the decay has set in and a reversal requires surgery, not token remedial actions to silence these voices. The power-play is on, and if all goes well, the voice of sanity will eventually lead to some strong corrective action.
The question to ask is: should you live in the hope that your city will get better or act now? Fortunately, with better highways, you can act in a way to preserve the health and quality of life of your family: esape from the city!
India is beautiful beyond the cities. And much of this beauty lies not too far away from the bustling, spewing, fuming metropolises. If feasible, you can spend a little extra time on commute and get a home in the countryside — far from the maddening crowd — that allows you to enjoy the good things about our earth: clean air, sounds of nature, the eye-soothing greenery.
While this sounds good, to many, this would come across as an impractical idea and a fool’s fantasy. This is especially so if you work long hours, your children go to school in the city, et al. For such city-bonded creatures, there’s the next best thing: a weekend home away from the man-made, swelling, concrete-infested colonies, we call cities.
Such people should look to buy a weekend farmhouse or just a haven in an untouched, unspoiled part of this earth where they can disconnect from the rat race, enjoy nature and rejuvenate. There are many nooks and corners, tucked away not too far from the sprawling metropolises, that offer such an opportunity. And with the clean technology advances today, you can even become largely self-reliant in your own little haven — using solar and wind powered energy, rain water harvesting and water purification systems and organic farming.
The time has come to go back for your future. Don’t survive. Get a life.
Former Editor, Outlook Business and Executive Editor, NDTV Profit, the writer is a personal finance expert. Mail him at propertyplus@thehindu.co.in
