This note is put together with regard to the meeting hosted by DD Architects on the revival of Vanchikulam, on 20th October 2022, which was attended by Learning City Thrissur (LCT) members Aishwarya Pradip and Ashik Krishnan. The intention of this document is to express LCT’s thoughts on the project and also establish a collective vision for future similar projects for Thrissur.
Background
Vanchikulam, a freshwater lake in Thrissur city is situated adjacent to Thrissur Railway station, just 2 km from the Thekkinkad Maithanam. It is historically relevant as the waterway connecting Thrissur to Kodungallur and Kochi. It was a bustling trade hub for the exchange of goods and transport of people. After the establishment of the Thrissur railway station in 1902, it served as the internal trading channel for goods arriving in Thrissur. Gradually by the early 1960s, as road networks developed, these water channels became obsolete. The canal system connects Vadookkara, Nedupuzha Inland fishing centre, Madamma Thoppu, Aranattukara, Pullu, Karuvannur river, etc. It is connected to the Kokkala basin area of the vast canal system, part of the Kole wetlands, a Ramsar site. The Kole wetlands are crucial for flood control, groundwater recharge and microclimate stabilization. Restoration of the space has been a pet project for the Thrissur Municipal Corporation for the past few years. Revival of this space has ecological, cultural and socio-political implications.
Present usage of the space
Primary stakeholders who use Vanchikulam
The kadavu is used by migrant labourers for washing clothes and taking bath
The Vanchipura is being used as an office by a trade union
What has been built so far:
Pavilion
Meeting space
Toilets
Space for restaurant/cafeteria
Space for gathering
Ticket counter for boating
Maithreem Bhajatha- Stone Art
What will be built soon:
Open gym
Waste management system
Play area for children
Walkway
Cycle track
Further Possibilities
Community space for small events, talk programmes, discussions
Space for screening films
Co-working space (access to plug points)
Create circular spaces where 10-12 people can sit in a circle, facing each other, and discuss/talk/share
Ownership and Responsibility
For a public space to be truly Commons, the public should take ownership and responsibility for the space. And for such an ownership and responsibility to happen, they should feel a connection to the space, to the city, to the surroundings. How do we facilitate this connection? Establishing this connection is to be seen as a long-term process, a continuous one.
And the approach shouldn’t be that of “conservation” or “protection”. Such an approach puts humans on a high pedestal, contributing to the ego. The approach should be that of social ecology, beginning with the understanding that “environmental problems are fundamentally social and political in nature, and are rooted in historical legacies of domination and social hierarchy”.
For example, the Kumbharan community (traditional clay pot makers) who reside along the banks of river Nila (Bharathappuzha) is a community that migrated from Andhra 9 generations ago, following an extreme drought and inability to continue their livelihoods. They travelled as a community through different parts of southern India and settled along the banks of the river as good clay was available, water was available in plenty and forest wood for firing and cooking. But today, the clay that they are able to extract from the river bank is not of desirable quality as a result of the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides for paddy cultivation in the region over the past 4-5 decades, which has affected the properties of the clay. Bringing out such angles should be deemed important.
Through the years, there has been a change in the users of Vanchikulam, the way it is used and its perceived value. This commons is ecologically very much alive and can provide valuable services. Management of water bodies is crucial to reduce urban heat island effects faced by Thrissur city currently and in future in combination with temperature rise due to climate change. Collective ownership and sustainable use of common resources can reduce the vulnerability of communities against impacts of climate change such as depleting water sources, loss of fishing areas, depleting groundwater table, loss of livelihood, etc.
The approach for Vanchikulam should also be about bringing out these social-ecological aspects, including in terms of communication.
Some activities that might help
Host storytelling sessions on the history and legacy of Vanchikulam. The regularity could be once a month. This can start even before the formal inauguration or opening up of the space for the public. This can be done in the gathering space and also by hosting non-mechanised boat travel in the waterway. There’s a tendency for the regular use of mechanised boats to disrupt the living ecosystem in the water.
As the space gets opened to the public, organise a collective artwork where the public gets to paint and decorate the walls, instead of commissioning it to established artists. Every 5 years or so, new artworks can be created, keeping public involvement alive.
Video documentation of the history of Vanchikulam where the oldest people in the locality share their memories of it.
Values that the project must uphold
The current stakeholders retain their access to the space and its facilities
Retaining the ecological integrity of the ecosystem by not introducing any exotic/invasive species for the sake of ‘beautification’
Facilitate users to be responsible managers of the commons
It should be possible for people of all genders to freely access the space without time restrictions
Also, LCT believes that every such city project, in its planning stage, must involve the process of identification of stakeholders and ensuring their participation in the planning and designing process. This includes users of the concerned space, citizens, youth representatives, youth groups such as LCT, self-help groups such as the Haritha Karma Sena, etc. The approach must be bottom-up, participatory, and must be an effort towards making Thrissur a more inclusive and egalitarian city.
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