It is time to start a reverse migration towards villages
The business community of Jabalpur is dominated by Jain and Sindhi communities. Both communities are very good in business and have a keen acumen in sniffing out opportunities to make profit.
The economic centre of Jabalpur is the Kamaniya Gate area. Textiles, hardware, grocery and almost every other ware can be found in the area.
Two families of Jabalpur serve as an example
Two of my closest associates have huge business interests in the Kamaniya Gate region of Jabalpur. Business is good and both have made a name in the city by providing services which no one else can provide. One of the two has their residence just above their business centre while the other lives about 10 kilometres away from the city in its outskirts.
The family members of one who reside above their business premises continuously suffer from ailments and often this also affects their business. For the business family who has their residence in the outskirts of the city, they rarely fall ill. The moral of the story is very clear – Turning green will improve health and also your fortunes.
Residence in a congested urban area leads to health problems
Studies have revealed that pollution, both in air and water, not only affects the health of a person but it can have a debilitating effect on the health of the economy and social well being also. As is evident in the instance above, having residence in a congested and urban area leads to health problems. The underground water is polluted and the air is also polluted. This also affects the ability to work and can have an economic impact also.
The gist of the above story is turning a piece of barren land green not only provides employment but it also alleviates the poverty of the local community. It is time to start a reverse migration to the rural part of India which is still green or has a potency to become green.
The second business family in Jabalpur made their residence a few kilometers away from the city. They not only improved their health but also contributed economically to the residents of hamlets around their home.
Modernity at the cost of health won’t uplift economic status of a community
On the other hand, the residents of San Joaquin Valley continued to face respiratory problems despite the presence of adequate greenery in California. It was an economically backward region and authorities decided to build four oil refineries in the hope that it would raise the standard of living of the people of the region.
The region was inhabited by people of Hispanic origin and workers with meagre income. However, the opening of the oil refineries and the fumes of the oil played havoc with the lives of the people. A majority of inhabitants started experiencing respiratory problems which adversely affected the production in the oil refineries.
The myth that modernity will uplift the economic status of any community also stands busted.
