The Agropolis of Greater Kochi - From satellite villages to satellite cities.

The photo shows a village in the urban agglomeration of Greater Kochi, which comprises of the city of Kochi, heritage towns and over a dozen fishing and farming villages. This is a region which is home to over 3.1 million people, around 9% of the total population of the state of Kerala.

Currently centered around the city of Kochi, we hope to see Greater Kochi centered around its numerous thriving villages.

EMPOWER satellite villages to preserve their livelihood and culture.

Let's move from satellite villages to satellite cities.

AGROPOLIS - bring food production closer home.

Urban Agglomerations (UA) and identity - In its 54 years since inception, Kochi Corporation has NOT extended its limits. The city of Kochi in Kerala has expanded over the years but the corporation limit has remained the same since 1967.

The autonomy of the satellite towns and villages has ensured that their identities have been preserved. They are more than mere suburbs of a city. 

Greater Kochi has a bustling city, towns, fishing villages, farming villages and even sparsely inhabited and densely vegetated uninhabited islands.

Each village and each town has its own story to tell. Their history did not begin with a city. Nor will their future be decided by a city.

The port of Kochi's rise to prominence began in 1340 A.D. after the port of Muziris, which had been a hub of the ancient spice trade, was destroyed in a massive flood. The flood created a natural harbour close to the site of Muziris, in the village of Kochi. The new harbour of Kochi took the place of Muziris on the international trade map.

When urban agglomerations around the world have swallowed entire regions in the name of development, Greater Kochi has improved connectivity without dissolving each region's heritage or unique landscape*.

A cosmopolitan city isn't one that has a homogeneous culture. It is one in which each culture and sub-culture is preserved and even showcased.

Greater Kochi - different cultures, ONE city.

*Greater Kochi is administered by the Kochi Municipal Corporation, 9 town  municipalities and 19 panchayats (local bodies of villages) including 4 panchayats that partly fall within the area of Greater Kochi. (The Kingdoms and provinces in the region of Kerala had joined the Indian Union in 1956.)

Greater Kochi's climate-adaptive farms exist because of 2 major reasons -

1. The paddy farms are located in a region that enjoys autonomy, being governed by its own village authority. (The Kochi Municipal Corporation has not extended its area of governance to these regions since its inception in 1967.)

2. The farmers cultivate Pokkali - a heritage Paddy variety that is saline- tolerant and climate adaptive. Pokkali paddy also weathers floods and offsets ground water salinity.  They have been in cultivation for close to 3000 years.

Awareness of the significance of Pokkali, especially in current times, has motivated many farmers to continue cultivating Pokkali rather than getting a job in the city of Kochi, that is only 30 minutes away.

And then, there is this reason -
The farmers that I had spoken to, said that they can't imagine a life that is not surrounded by water!

The best part about living in a city with awesome villages is that rural bliss is only a cycle or canoe ride away! 

Preserve satellite villages.They have a lot to offer! 

Develop Greater Kochi to become a world-class Agropolis!