Published in Dwarka Express on 26.11.2022

To hate or to love. It appears to be a tricky question. If the question were rephrased as “to hate or not to hate” it would have been a different proposition. Many would have responded, saying, ‘we should not hate animals.’ Yes, obviously many do not hate animals. That doesn’t mean that they love animals. To love an animal is a fiddly issue for certain. Thus, the animal welfare boards are innate to shield the animals if not love them. In the same way human beings have the human rights commissions. PETA, SPCA etc are to speak for the speechless animals and fight for their right to live in planet Earth. The only catch here is the animal boards as well as human right commissions are manned by human beings only. It goes without saying that a man has upper hand and he can even make a beast dance to his tunes. A common man’s behavioural pattern changes on seeing an animal behaviour. A dog that doesn’t bark, a pigeon that doesn’t drop, a snake that doesn’t bite is what they look for. Someone recently quipped, I don’t want to see pigeons on my balcony. Another exasperated resident lodged a complaint to his apartment association that monkeys have no business in the apartment. another man barked, ‘Association Management committee should resign if they allow stray dogs inside the compound’. Even a pet parent who spends Rs 10000 for his Doberman may not adopt a stray dog.

Day in day out, anger is ventilated on dog poop, pigeon dropping, monkey menace and bee hives on high-rises. Truly these are all concerns but why it should culminate in destroying the biodiversity. homo sapiens fail to recollect that his apartment was once home for animals. In fact, this debate is highly controversial. A year back, Australian Government mercilessly culled thousands of camels for no fault on their part. Animal rights are perceived by different individuals in different ways though law takes its own course. While some hate people feeding stray animals, others love to feed them. Some school of thought declares that the affinity to a stray dog is a phobia. Animals are part of the ecosystem. They are interlocked in the food web. One should not end in erasing the rich diversity. Man is placed in top of the food chain and if the other living beings are eliminated, that will be the end of the human race. The animal is not a menace and an intruder in our life but they need love and care. How to manage the unbalanced growth needs a lot of scientific solution so that everyone in the ecosystem takes their own share.

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Published in Dwarka Express on 19.11.2022

The one and the only one sphere which witnesses (un)sustainable development is the world population, though every country makes tall claim of making vast development in many other fields. The eight billionth baby was born at Dr Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila, reports the media and the baby will soon become popular. India is just competing with China with a population of 1.41 billion just inching towards Chinese figure of 1.45 billion. There is a prediction that in 2023 or so, India may achieve the dubious distinction of world number One. At least it appears so. China has a land area which is 3 times that of India.

With similar level of population, one can easily imagine the population density in India. Most of our political discussions are centred around religious dogmas and populist stunts. There are no visible efforts to control the unabated population growth. On the one hand the natural resources are getting depleted in the name of growth while on the other the consumption hits the roof. Wherever we go, we experience crowds and the resultant avoidable competitions and clashes. India being one of the world’s largest democracies, there is no respite from ever increasing demand-supply gap.

Most of our cities are visible victims of the spurt in urban slums and deteriorating healthcare. Being a country in tropical area, India is in a very fertile area for spurt in population. What is worrying the planners is the availability of resources to cater to the needs of the people. Instead of blaming each other and wasting our energy on mutual mudslinging, time has come to make a common code for all in India to emphasize the need for small family norm. The one and the only one sphere which witnesses (un)sustainable development is the world population, though every country makes tall claim of making vast development in many other fields. The eight billionth baby was born at Dr Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila, reports the media and the baby will soon become popular.

 India is just competing with China with a population of 1.41 billion just inching towards Chinese figure of 1.45 billion. There is a prediction that in 2023 or so, India may achieve the dubious distinction of world number One. At least it appears so. China has a land area which is 3 times that of India. With similar level of population, one can easily imagine the population density in India. Most of our political discussions are centred around religious dogmas and populist stunts. There are no visible efforts to control the unabated population growth. On the one hand the natural resources are getting depleted in the name of growth while on the other the consumption hits the roof. Wherever we go, we experience crowds and the resultant avoidable competitions and clashes. India being one of the world’s largest democracies, there is no respite from ever increasing demand-supply gap.

Most of our cities are visible victims of the spurt in urban slums and deteriorating healthcare. Being a country in tropical area, India is in a very fertile area for spurt in population. What is worrying the planners is the availability of resources to cater to the needs of the people. Instead of blaming each other and wasting our energy on mutual mudslinging, time has come to make a common code for all in India to emphasize the need for small family norm. The one and the only one sphere which witnesses (un)sustainable development is the world population, though every country makes tall claim of making vast development in many other fields. The eight billionth baby was born at Dr Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Manila, reports the media and the baby will soon become popular.

India is just competing with China with a population of 1.41 billion just inching towards Chinese figure of 1.45 billion. There is a prediction that in 2023 or so, India may achieve the dubious distinction of world number One. At least it appears so. China has a land area which is 3 times that of India. With similar level of population, one can easily imagine the population density in India. Most of our political discussions are centred around religious dogmas and populist stunts. There are no visible efforts to control the unabated population growth. On the one hand the natural resources are getting depleted in the name of growth while on the other the consumption hits the roof. Wherever we go, we experience crowds and the resultant avoidable competitions and clashes. India being one of the world’s largest democracies, there is no respite from ever increasing demand-supply gap.

Most of our cities are visible victims of the spurt in urban slums and deteriorating healthcare. Being a country in tropical area, India is in a very fertile area for spurt in population. What is worrying the planners is the availability of resources to cater to the needs of the people. Instead of blaming each other and wasting our energy on mutual mudslinging, time has come to make a common code for all in India to emphasize the need for small family norm.

Published in Dwarka Express on 12.11.22

Anyone who wants to settle down in a clean and cool environment, opts Bengaluru as his destination. But what he experiences today is not the same, compared to 50 years before! Yes, Bengaluru was once a paradise in South and talk to any octogenarian, he will lament about the bygone era when he was a youth. Cubbon Park, Lalbagh, Majestic Circle, Malleswaram, MG Road or Ulsoor – name it, many will go nostalgic about the clean and green boulevards. Even today, one may relish the reminiscences hither and thither, which is now more of a ‘garbage’ city than a ‘garden’ city. A drive from Hebbal to Majestic (10 KMs) may take a minimum of one hour. Why so? Ever-increasing vehicular jams, will make you feel, will it be better to walk the distance rather than idling out behind the wheel? Air Pollution has peaked out though not to that level as that of Delhi. ‘Bangalore AQI is 103.. Not too encouraging…’ bewailed one office-goer, though the AQI level is nowhere nearer to what is prevalent in Delhi, now. But looking at the developments, like faster urbanisation, vanishing green cover and raising pollutants, one feels whether Bengaluru is inching towards the same situation as that of Delhi. In Delhi, the terrain is low-lying in Gangetic plains and the pollutants like PM 2.5 and PM 10 gets settled down and as the mercury dips low, in the winter, these particles moving from nearby agricultural states worsen the situation. The already ailing Delhi, thanks to traffic congestion, further succumbs to pollutants and ends in frequent smog. In Bangalore’s case, the terrain that is part of deccan plateau where rain or wind brushes away the particulate matters, though piling garbage, ever growing infra constructions and traffic jams will soon make the city a hell if no action is taken.

Dr Chanakya Hoysall, Chief Research Scientist at the Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore adds, “Bangalore has a unique topography /geography.  It is a Table Mesa where altitude falls by about 1000 feet in any direction.  Air flow from any direction will push the air mass upwards and or away from Bangalore.  This is also enhanced by the green cover around this part that increases transpiration as well as its condensation / precipitation over Bengaluru.  There will thus always be some air movements that sucks up the air to move upwards and therefore only in a very few days in the year one will experience inversions that are the common cause of Fog and Smog of North India. You may see this inversion in a few places in Bengaluru like the trough opposite BDA Head Office, Ramanagara, some parts of Devanahalli airport, GKVK, etc.”