There has been an enormous increase in the population figures between the year 1981 and 2001 in urban Kochi. The population has nearly doubled in number during this period. The density has risen from 79.88 persons to 128.68 persons per hectare in certain municipalities. Areas having dense settlements have to accommodate more and more people.
This is a serious problem as the human population is the most important source of pollution because all forms of anthropogenic pollution are the creation of human activities. The problem of garbage, sewage, wastewater and solid wastes have already aggravated the enormity of the problem. Poverty and underdevelopment are other sources of pollution.
Population growth in the urban areas of Kochi is rather phenomenal. All the green patches in urban Kochi have completely disappeared as a result of this migration to the city centers. If this migration is not controlled, then there will not be enough living spaces for people resulting in slums in the urban areas. Even though the Builders in Kochi are credited with creating new living spaces in the urban areas, much more needs to be done to meet the continuing demand.
When considering the demand and supply forces, in Kochi, wherever demand has increased and supply has decreased, the final cost was always on the higher side. This aspect is rightly evident in the real estate sector as well. Property prices on both sides of M.G.Road and Marine Drive have appreciated phenomenally in recent years as a result of this phenomenon.
In urban Kochi, building higher and higher is the only way out to create additional living and commercial spaces. The leading builders are willing to build higher and higher. However, the one distressing aspect is that they are not given the sanction to build upwards and that too above a particular height. Compare that with the towering skyscrapers with more than 60 to 70 floors dotting the skyline of cities like London, Tokyo and New York.
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