PICTURING : ECO RUINS

1.

Behind the veneer of gentrified Navi Mumbai cobbled together is a natural topography with heaps and bounds, mangroves and delta, all of which is cornered by the sea. Hills in Kharghar are not gigantic, but their continuous ebbs and flows throughout the Raigad district like the bulges on a spread satin cloth. Upon which lay powdery ash applied by the swift stroke of a brush in the hands of a master artist till each each and everything attaining a desolate character. True forms and shapes could be missed out. Around these contours, the city is laid and planned by renowned architects of India in the late 1960s. Since then, progress(subjective) has been rapid, and human interventions smudge even the remotest parts. 

2.

One could imagine Kharghar hills flouted with dense trees, tall grass, narrow creeks, small lakes, and picturesque backgrounds but the uncertainty of it all was the smog rising from the hill, fruitless and barren lands lie with potential danger. Trees with few leaves now serve as an open fortress to the crows to examine what lies in front of them; they are the king and the government here with designed positions forming the new social structure of which they sit at the top of the hierarchy.

 Time seems boundless; a place is lawless and lifeless. Frequently visited by children who play in neighbouring fields and destitute rag pickers, students and people like me

3.

Some might consider this place a mound of dead, and some could still see the life making a desperate attempt to sprung up. 

4.

'In a world of cntrl+alt+dlt, this is a potential recycle bin. A place where an introverted person can recluse by their oversize boulders under sky open views and high winds. You could see people in single, and couples are stretching out from a distance, throwing pebbles, clicking selfies, and making love. A place was conceptually ideal for outdoor picnics.

5.

A lady in white ascends, feeding the crows and remnants of which provide the underbelly. She went about her way almost 45 mins covering just a few square meters and occasionally accompanied by local dogs. It's that thin sliver of spark in people which makes them do what they do. I don't think she thinks about making things fruitful and lively; it comes naturally like a ritual. That made me realize the nature of life; there will always be good and bad sides. Even being reasonable means feeding the scavengers or hopeful attempt turning decay to blossom.

6.

But,

What if we upheave all the self-healing entities in the process of progress to the extent of non-return, leaving the land sterile—just a fortress of ash ruled by the people who thrive, differentiating and feeding on those less fortunate.

7.

No matter how cliche it sounds, but in the future when your son asks, 'What were you all doing when this happened?'. 'Sorry mate, we had a lot on our plate, and you know I am an introvert and don't bother myself with these social haphazard.' The kind of answer we will come up with?

8.

The narrative in the world today has turned askew, leading us towards the epidemic of disconnection, soon, which will create a deep rift in our social structure, the effects of which now have become more evident than ever. No matter how weird things turn out, there will always be two sides oscillated not by nature's laws but by human's greed and will