Factors of degradation due to the march of development

The Kerala state as a whole and cities like Trivandrum, Cochin and Kozhikode have witnessed phenomenal economic and population growth in between the years 1981 and 2001.  The importance of these cities has increased as an administrative, educational and medical center.  There has been continuous influx of people in search of job opportunities, medical aid, education and other services. 
 
With the construction of the Bypass road, which is a major transportation hub and the green signal given to develop the airport to handle more traffic and the future plans to develop the Vizhinjam harbor, Trivandrum has emerged as an important center of commercial and business activity.  It has more than a lakh of floating population.  Commercial activities have risen and the demand for commercial spaces has increased.  While the inauguration of the Technopark resulted in major developments in earlier times, the possibility of more developments is not ruled out when the Vizhinjam Container Terminal becomes operational.  It has aroused much interest in the investor community.
 
The main business centers in the city as well as the small roads and bye lanes are getting busier.  The garbage in the city is increasing and the soil, sewerage and drainage facilities are under strain.  Houses are getting clustered and developing in a haphazard fashion.  Both environmental degradation and environmental pollution has set in.  The quality of urban life and health is deteriorating making life miserable.  Many factors are responsible for degradation of urban environment in Trivandrum.
 
Real Estate in Kerala especially in the major cities is developing at a rapid pace.  In Cochin, the Vallarpadom Container Terminal and the Smart City Project helped to attract investments into all sectors of the local economy.  Real estate values doubled within a short period.  The situation in Kozhikode is also much similar, but is more guided by the developments in the Middle East, which is the source of investments into the local economy.