All is not lost: Bangalore may return to its former green glory. Despite the newly arrived monsoon, which will probably wreak havoc with the environment and traffic, the majority of residents (57%) have voted for the replanting of trees before the restoration of roads (only 14%). Fiat arbores. Jeunesse Park would approve.
Here in suburban Kaapstad, we’re in the throes of a wet winter, the greenies have disallowed city planners from cutting away the precious mountain to widen the road, and the parochials are miffed.
Their point is that exhaust fumes of ever-increasing volumes of traffic will ultimately cause more damage to the planet. The greenies have bowed and agreed to loan them a bit of the mountain while they broaden the island in the centre.
Nothing like living in India to make one observant. Miss it already. And hope I get to sail a tuk tuk through the flooded streets.
3 June, 2008
20 June, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Unless they widen the roads in Cape Town there will be nobody left alive to worry about the greening of the planet or not.
Missing Bangalore makes you very strange.
21 June, 2008 at 11:28 am
Maybe Cape Town drivers should learn to hone their well-known driving instinct, stop gazing at the mountain, and pretend there are six lanes of tuk tuks. That way they could avoid death by speed and death by asphyxiation. Alternatively they could continue killing each other and give the planet back to the trees.
No stranger than urban automatons who push electronic buttons for release from their sterile nests. You like flying, Mr Weaver?