In the 1999 Malayalam Movie Ustaad, the character Parameshwaran (Played by Mohanlal) is often seen quipping to his sister Padmaja (played by Divyaa Unni): “Enthaa choodu coimbatore?” (How hot it is in the city of Coimbatore). The clincher here is that Mohanlal’s character who adorns the persona of a real-estate businessman in Kozhikode is actually a retired crime boss that goes by the moniker Ustaad – so the heat in coimbatore dialogue is actually a lie Parameshwaran uses to hide his alter ego.
Why did I share the plot of a run-of-the-mill Malayalam movie to y’all to answer a bloganuary prompt about complaints? It’s because I have the same complaint as Mohanlal’s character in the movie, only the cities have changed, and it is not a fake comment, it is very real. “Enthaa choodu Kochiyilu!” (How hot it is in Kochi?)
The state of Kerala in India, and especially my city of Kochi has been bearing the brunt of global warming for the past few years. Kochi and Trivandrum (my hometown) have always had similar weather conditions. As I was growing up, I never remember seeing not more than a maximum of 32 degrees centigrade even in summers. Sometimes in peak summers, it would go up to 33, that was the ultimate. Last week, in the month of January when it is winter (or whatever winter looks like in places with tropical climate) here, I verbally gasped seeing my phone show that it is thirty six degrees celsius outside.
It’s not just the heat, we have had unexpected torrential rains. In 2018, Kerala was hit by the worst floods ever, causing nearly $3 billion USD worth damage. The irony is that despite the rains, not only are our temperatures NOT cooling off, but we are always in the verge of an electricity crisis, as our dams are almost always in the threat of emptying, only after being filled to the brim months back after torrential rains. (Kerala is heavily dependent on hydroelectric power for its energy needs).
At home in Kochi, my family is heavily dependent on air conditioning for survival. Our apartment is fully air conditioned (except for the kitchen and bathrooms). If we end up switching off air conditioning for a bit, we end up sweating like pigs.
In general, I love the climate of Kerala, yes even despite the heat. We realize how blessed we are when we see adverse climate world over as we travel. Nonetheless, the heat is hitting unbearable levels, and as folks who have decided to make the city our permanent home, it is getting very difficult to manage.
Even as an optimist, I’m not exactly thrilled seeing policymaking progress or developments on climate change. I think we are at the stage where the world has started seeing the real effects of climate change in terms of catastrophic events. Of course, we can all do our part individually, and yes that would make a difference. But since we have come so far in the game, unless something drastic is done, I think we are in for a bleak future.
Sorry to be a little alarmist with my post, but I’m just stating facts. I am still optimistic about the future. I hope these trends that we see will drive home the facts into our authorities, who will take necessary action. It is also a reminder for us individuals to see what we can do to live in a world where the climate gets more adverse, day by day, very literally.
Let’s hope for the best!
This post was written as part of the Bloganuary challenge of WordPress.com. Bloganuary is a month-long challenge, where bloggers are challenged to write a new blog post every day, based on a daily writing prompt. You will need a WordPress.com account to get the prompts, but you can blog on any platform of your choice – OR even journal privately. Oh btw, there is no bloganuary police – so you can pick your own prompts if you wish to!
Hari Shanker R 
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