Ernakulam district, the industrial district of Kerala, is one of the six districts of the drainage region of Vembanadu estuary. A study of the Quality of Life (QOL) in relation to the environment and relative developmental status of the district reveals significant information regarding the relationship between QOL, water environment and development of a region. With regard to the developmental indices like Net Domestic Product, growth rate of sectoral income, per-capita income etc., Ernakulam district ranks first in the drainage region of Vembanadu estuary. About 55% of the total number of large and medium scale industries in the Vembanadu drainage region is in this district. The QOL of Kochi city is less than the highest QOL values of almost all the municipalities with in the drainage region of Vembanadu estuary. The main reason for such lowering in QOL is the non- availability of drinking water. Thus this city has become a typical example for the fact that urbanisation and related development of a region need not lead to an increase in QOL. It is seen that there is only one district with subjective QOL(s) greater than that of Ernakulam in the Vembanadu drainage region. The main reason for the lowering of QOL(s) in Ernakulam district is found to be water logging and waste disposal problems.   

*Dept .of Geology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom-695 581

**Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad, Kochi-24, Kerala, India.