Published in Dwarka Express on 17.6.23

It is indeed a milestone for South Express, as we have completed the first year and during this period, we have brought out 50 weekly issues. A year ago, the Founder of the Delhi based weekly newspaper, Dwarka Express,  Robin Sharma ji, a social activist himself, called me to expand his paper in South India. Before that, as a Dwarkaite, I used to interact with him about various environmental issues when I was in Dwarka. I accepted this job on honorary basis, and asked him whether we should cover political and socio-cultural contents, he surprised me, saying, “kindly cover environment only as that is the need of the hour. There are many newspapers and channels to cover various other contents and features, but environment gets neglected”. South Express, ever since focused on environment and nature mainly. I must thank all our readers who give a lot of suggestions and feedback. From December 2022, Dwarka Express having a circulation of about 100000 print copies of their weekly paper in Delhi, has gone online besides e-copies. Now South Express also posts all its e-paper contents online and are available at any time to readers.

Kindly read all South Express contents now in online platform of Dwarka Express in the following exclusive page at  https://www.dwarkaexpress.org/category.php?catid=5  or simply go to the website of https://www.dwarkaexpress.org and look for the South Express page. The idea of this page is to encourage all those who are doing good work in the field of environment and nature and showcase the hidden talents. We request readers to share articles, research papers and stories on their experience and experiment. In fact, many people from South India settled in other parts of the country are also showing interest in our paper. We get many success stories on the achievements of budding environmental entrepreneurs also.

Ecology and Environment need attention and concern. Entire world is striving to keep the global temperature at less than 1.5 degree more than the pre industrialization era but it is also a known fact that the temperature has breached the cutoff point and is heralding to 1.7 degree which is formidable. Warning bells have rung already. What are we going to do? Are we going to mend our ways or bend our heads before the nature’s fury. We need to leave green trails, not carbon footprints to posterity.

Please do not hesitate to contact us through the email IDs and numbers given. Your experience may help or inspire someone to resort to an eco-friendly way of living. From Dwarka Express, we thank you once again for your patronage to this mission. Dr V Selvarajan

Published in Dwarka Express on 10.6.23

June 5^th 2023. World Environment Day. This year marks the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day, which focuses on solutions to plastic pollution, using the hashtag and slogan #BeatPlasticPollution. The whole world is showing concerns to the plastic trash. Our oceans are filled with plastic bottles and we have been seeing a lot of video clips in social media of turtles and whales being caught into the fisherman’s plastic nets. In the last fifty years, there is incredible growth of plastic. Plastic has become an inevitable and integral part of our lives. Out of 430 million tonnes of plastic produced and used every year worldwide, less than 10 per cent is recycled. It is estimated that 19-23 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers and seas annually. 

The most dangerous Microplastics (tiny plastic particles up to 5mm in diameter) are going into our stomach along with our food, water and air. It is estimated that each person on the planet consumes more than 50,000 plastic particles per year. Next time when you are proudly holding your paper cup with coffee, please be rest assured that those paper cups have also some micro plastic elements in their making. In July 2022, when the GOI banned the use of single use plastics, we were all breathing easy and thought that the single use plastic will be completely eliminated. But still we have not come out of its grip. Discarded or burnt single-use plastic harms human health and biodiversity and pollutes every ecosystem from mountain tops to the ocean floor. With population edging 142 crores, any action program initiated by Governments seems to be challenging. Ultimately it ends in the blame game and avoidable political skirmishes.

If we seriously think of eliminating Plastics, at the first instance, we must strictly enforce ban on SUP production. If the candy sticks, ear buds, ice cream sticks, balloons, cups, forks, packing materials and carry bags below 120 microns are not available in the market, where is the question of using them? Simultaneously we need to explore alternatives. We also need to help the SUP manufacturers switch over to alternatives. Enacting law is fine, but what is more important is enforcement. Are we ready for that?

Dr V Selvarajan

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Published in Dwarka Express on 10.6.23

I had gone mad in Ooty on seeing sparrows. Yes, my purpose to go to Ooty was to see the flower show and engage my lens with colourful flowers. But I went crazy on seeing sparrows. In fact, one can find sparrows anywhere in Ooty. Someone has to make a research study about the secret of the survival of sparrows in Ooty. Whether it is near a street vendor, or near a flower garden, one will not miss this bird. What fascinated was when I saw a male sparrow feeding a juvenile. When I reached the Bazaar to have my grub, a few sparrows were picking up the spilled food particles. I went to boat house, there were hundreds of them. An enraged tourist never bothers to look at this little bird which is the talk of the world. In botanical garden, I was a bit angry that the crazy lot are more concerned about documenting themselves in Selfie mode. I called my sister to show this rare discovery. She quipped, ‘Yes, I remember seeing it in my childhood’. Nilgiris is a paradise for varieties of colourful birds. But I changed my idea to go for birding after looking at these sparrows. I mean, I can compare my happiness to that of a child who got her favourite strawberry ice cream. Almost about 500 birds, I might have counted. When I left Ooty, I had a life time satisfaction as I have done my PhD in sparrows!

Published in Dwarka Express on 3.6.23

The schools are reopening as well as the Ooty flower show is over on 23^rd May itself. Ooty is supposed to breathe easy, but my perception was wrong. The crowd for the annual flower show at Ooty is unprecedented with thousands of cars entering the city for a few kilometers in the ghat road were seen queued up, patiently waiting long hours and inching ahead. This ‘procession’ was going on even after a week. Otherwise also, the tourists inflex often exceed tolerance limits during summer holidays. Whoever visits Botanical Garden or Boat house will have to wait in long queues. It is the same case in Doddabetta peak or Dolphin nose in Ooty. The local authorities are struggling to regulate the traffic on the one hand and clear the trash generated due to heavy rush.

Coming to the Flower Show at Botanical Garden, it’s really a worth seeing annual event with its 125^th edition of the flower show which started on 19^th May 2023 and ended on 23^rd May 2023. About 5.5 lac flower plants in addition to 35000 potted plants were lined up. For a serious botanist, who wants to study the varieties, one day is not enough. There were exotic species too with almost every country was represented. Its quite natural for anyone to think that the mad rush would be over on the last date of the show. But when I visited the Botanical Garden on 30^th May 23, my speculation that I can see the flowers in a relaxed manner proved wrong. The rush didn’t come down. More than flowers what fascinated me was the huge count of sparrows inside the garden and elsewhere in the town. This gave the bird lovers a solace that there is still hope for the sparrow race. At least I might have clicked 1000 snaps. Forgetting the purpose of my visit, I was excited watching a male sparrow feeding the juvenile.

When I reached the boat house for a boat ride, it is a huge waiting. I pretty well knew that the lake water is contaminated and is nothing more than a drainage. But the irrational tourists will never bother all these. Its sure that the Ooty lake is not what it was 50 years ago. The locals want revenue and they can only make hay while the sun shines, literally. The tourism Industry cannot give up their greed to fill up their cash boxes. A few environmentalists lament out of frustration as they feel that the city is losing its charm as a hill station. I was shocked to see a well-built Nilgiri gaur (bison), just on the road. I remember peeping into Sholas 30 years back to have the darshan of bison. They are just available like stray cows now. We need to give a second thought to the annual ritual of parading the flowers just to attract tourists to Ooty.

Published in Dwarka Express on 28.5.23

The “climate” will never listen to homo sapiens, for sure!  The planet Earth is warming up. Sooner than later, the global temperature is likely to surge to record levels. The world meteorological department predicts that there is 66% chance that the annual average near surface temperature will be breaching the set goals by the Paris Agreement. It was decided during Paris Agreement that the global nations together would endeavour to keep the global temperature within 1.5 degree above the pre-Industrialization level. This ambitious target does not seem like achievable. Every year the global climate convention takes place, the latest being COP 27 at Egyptian coastal resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh from Nov. 6 to Nov. 18, 2022. The Conventions appeared to be not more than an annual ritual with most of the plenary sessions dedicated to climate related themes.

The global summit was in fact an opportunity for the world leaders to meet and discuss how to protect the planet from warming up due to human activities. There were many themes that included biodiversity, water, gender and transport. A thought was shared that the Climate change has brought to the forefront political agendas as floods, drought, wildfires and extreme weather conditions since these issues affect millions of people as well as economies of under developed countries. The cool phase of La Niña ended in March 2023 and the warming up phase of El Niño is forecast to develop in the coming months. Typically, El Niño increases global temperatures in the year after it develops and so it appears that it will increase pretty well by 2024.

By the way, India’s population breached the 1.42 billion mark to surpass Chinese population recently. We are No 1 in the world now. Is it an achievement to feel proud of? Growing population coupled with depleting natural resources pose a tough proposition to adhere to the global commitments which we have proudly declared in the global convention. Already we have expressed our inability to do away with diesel. How are we going to ensure that we will meet the targets of carbon neutrality or net zero initiatives. The challenges are going to be innumerable and how we are going to ensure protection of our natural wealth such as clean air, drinking water and the carbon sinks is a question which remains unanswered.