The Hindu (Tiruchirapalli)

C.V. Aravind

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In the name of tourism, virgin forests in the hills are destroyed indiscrimi­nately. (‘The hills are (barely) alive’; Apr. 14) Concrete buildings have come up on mountain slopes, causing intensive damage to nature. Udhagamand­alam town has become a concrete jungle. Kodaikanal and Yercaud are no exception. Tourism developmen­t has come at the cost of destructio­n of nature, and needs to be regulated.

The cover story holds up a mirror to the bad maintenanc­e of mountains in the country. From the prism of economics, government­s have to allocate adequate resources for the upkeep of infrastruc­ture in hill stations and, of course, tirelessly work to keep them clean, free from tra‹ic hassles and tourist-friendly. We can draw lessons from the U.P. government, which made monumental e‹orts to clean the Ganges.

Tourism carrying capacity may be viewed as an important considerat­ion in the sustainabi­lity discussion. Of late, sustainabi­lity and its associated concepts have come to dominate planning on the management of tourism and its impacts. But carrying capacity analysis is still an important tool to know future impact in the tourism sector.

It is true that many otherwise first-rate writers become victims of establishm­ent politics and fail to make it to the canon. (‘Discoverin­g Maryse Condé’; Apr. 14) Only an innocent person would persuade themselves that writers in the First World get promoted exclusivel­y on merit. Awards play a significan­t role in putting writers on academic syllabi. But they are not unbiased.

My vote is for those who promise and implement environmen­t-friendly deeds. (‘Green humour’; Apr. 14) I appeal to all to follow me, and I appeal to the EC to disqualify those who fail to implement election promises.

Vacations in the 80s used to begin with a second-class rail journey. (‘Charm of the 80s vacation’; Apr. 14) This was followed by playing with cousins, eating delicacies prepared by your grandmothe­r, accompanyi­ng your grandfathe­r to the library, reading school textbooks for the next year, and going to bed at 9 p.m., after grandmothe­r had served thayir sadham. Today’s children know nothing of this.

The article brought back memories of vacations of yore when distractio­ns were less, vacation spots were almost pollution-free, and a holiday, even with family in tow, did not leave a gaping hole in your purse. Much water has flowed under the bridge since then and in the hustle and bustle of today’s world, vacations are clipped short and devoid of the erstwhile charm.

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