Category Awareness campaigns

Definition of mountains changing?

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

‘What is a mountain?’ If a teacher asks a primary class student, the future students may reply, ‘Any big rocky structure above 100 meters is a mountain’

Mountains that are less than 100 meters in height may not be classified as mountains. This observation is from the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Aravalli case on 20-11-2025, not my own definition. The Aravalli range has largely vanished, leading to protests in North India, particularly in Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi. I have nothing new to say, as the subject has already been extensively presented by the media and on social media. My only question is how this 100-meter benchmark has been finalised. Why 100 meters, why not 50 or 25 meters? I do not find any logic or rhyme in such a decision. The decision is arbitrary and challengeable. However, the decision is currently on hold. We need to wait for the Supreme Court to review its decision and possibly consider new definitions in January 2026.

The Aravalli Range is one of the oldest mountain systems in the world, and it faces multiple serious environmental and governance issues, especially across Rajasthan, Haryana, and the Delhi NCR. The core issue is illegal Mining. Extensive mining of stone, marble, and quartz has been occurring. Environmentalists argue that the mining leads to hill flattening, loss of vegetation, groundwater depletion, and dust pollution. The mining mafia is not ready to yield. The second important issue is the clearing of forests for real estate, roads, resorts, and agriculture, which leads to soil erosion and loss of native species. The Wildlife corridors are slowly destroyed due to rampant urbanisation & Real Estate activities. Forest land reclassified as “non-forest” or “revenue land” to permit construction, especially in Gurugram, Faridabad, Alwar, and Delhi NCR areas. The Aravalli range serves as a natural groundwater recharge system, but its destruction has exacerbated the water crisis in Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi. The loss of the Aravallis removes a natural barrier against desert dust from the Thar and contributes to severe air pollution in Delhi–NCR. The reduced carbon sequestration has already started creating havoc. There is a threat to biodiversity, and invasive species are seen replacing the natural flora. When the court takes up the case again in January 2026, we hope that some goodwill will prevail and the Earth’s oldest mountain will be saved from destruction. In the name of development, let us not dilute definitions just to accommodate vested interests and then do the mutual mudslinging at the cost of sustainable development

Is open defecation still a problem in the 21st century?

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

My friend cautioned me, ‘Please be careful while walking.’

A few days ago, we went birdwatching at a location between Bangalore and Mysore. I prefer not to disclose the name on this platform. My friend was right in cautioning me. When I looked down, I noticed human waste everywhere. A long time back, I used to travel by train from Delhi Cantonment to Gurugram. On both sides, we used to see many people relieving themselves, unmindful of the train passing next to them. A luxury train (palace on wheels) used to pass the same route every Wednesday, carrying foreigners to see Jaipur, Jodhpur etc. We used to wonder what the tourists would think of our country.

Whether it is a lake bund or any other water body, people do not hesitate to relieve themselves. And this is not an isolated case. And the situation is not just in rural areas, but Urban areas too. India is not yet open defecation-free (ODF), although the Government of India constructed 630000 public toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban. This may sound exaggerated, but it is true. This count includes public and community sanitation facilities built to provide toilets in markets, bus stands, railway stations, parks, and other public places. Government data indicates that most villages have achieved ODF Plus status. However, external reports from various sources suggest that having a toilet does not guarantee its use. Neither the number ensures cleanliness of the public conveniences. Mindset is also an important factor. Many villagers prefer to choose open area. Lake bunds and river sides are easy targets. During our walk along the river and lakeside, just a fortnight ago, we were personally witness to this bitter reality. Most of the Southern states have access to household toilets, but in some northern states, such as Bihar, the situation is far below.  Some may have a wrong notion that human waste is biodegradable and nothing to worry about. Years back, a data was released about the water quality of river Yamuna at Delhi. At Okhla, a test conducted by researchers revealed that the Coliform bacteria (found in fecal matter) was a formidable 11.8 Crore in 100 ML as against the tolerant level of 5000 bacteria in 100 ML. So the bacteria may cause harmful disease if left in the open. Children may be infected easily. But we must not forget the reality. A full-fledged socio-cultural change besides economic improvement among common men need to blossom to accept the health aspects of cleanliness

DO YOU KNOW? 3.4 billion people still live without safely managed sanitation services – nearly half the world’s population.   354 million people still practise open defecation, increasing the risk of disease and harm, especially for women and girls. (SOURCE: WHO/UNICEF, 2025)

Torturing animals is suicidal!

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Published in South Express on 13.12.25

Disturbing visual! Why don’t admins remove video clips of animals being tortured?

A social media post caught the attention of the admins in a WhatsApp group. Indeed, the clip was quite disturbing! It showed a live crocodile being skinned. A Chinese woman used a knife to remove the top layer of a crocodile’s skin to create a stylish ladies’ handbag. If a weak-hearted person sees the clip, he would even faint. Now the question is whether the post is scary or the action. In another clip, it was explained how shuttlecocks are manufactured using feathers plucked from live pigeons. Shockingly, millions of feathers are taken from these birds while they are still alive. We do not want to debate whether such practices should be banned, but it is a fact that animals are being tortured. Cruelty toward animals for meat, milk, eggs, leather, wool, or silk is a major ethical concern worldwide. We cannot stop killing animals for meat. Any debate for this will end in controversy. But unconfirmed sources quote the world’s non-vegetarians as between 75% and 90%. However, in India, A 2021 survey found that about 39% of Indian adults describe themselves as “vegetarian.”  Slaughterhouses, in general, claim to kill animals at one go and without torture. This is what we understand, and we may be wrong. The animals are part of the food chain, which we acknowledge. Our concern lies with the cruelty inflicted on animals.

What is more painful to hear is that many wild animals and birds are tortured and killed for purposes other than food. Tigers are poached for their nails, teeth and bones. Metal traps used for killing them cause slow and painful death. Monkeys are forced to perform in street shows, kept in chains, and beaten until they obey commands. In traditional practices like “dancing bears” (now banned), bears had their teeth broken and noses pierced with hot rods. Crocodiles are killed brutally or skinned while alive for leather. Snakes are nailed to trees and skinned alive in illegal markets. Snake charmers remove fangs, causing infection and starvation. In Tamil Nadu, for kili josiyam (parrot astrology), flight feathers of rose-ringed parakeets are cut painfully so they cannot fly away and are used to pick fortune cards, even though they are protected under Schedule 4 of the Wildlife Act. It is an offence as per the law. The above are only indicative examples, not exhaustive. Instead of condemning social media posts that show cruelty towards animals, just because they induce palpitations, group members must come forward to become the voice for the voiceless. People who forward such posts must add a sentence cautioning the weak-hearted people to avoid seeing them. In our opinion, bringing such horrible episodes to the limelight will help create awareness and stop cruelty to animals.

Stop torturing trees!

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Published in South Express on 11.10.25

“Save trees! Plant more trees!” These are the most common slogans heard in any town. I wonder whether we truly care about the trees. Day in and day out, we encounter attacks on trees, especially in urban areas. Anurag ventilates his anger in social media when a poster or banner is nailed to a tree. Aswinikumar becomes vociferous about the concretization of the trees, which slowly destabilizes a tree. Kumar says that commercial organisations like hotels or malls seek publicity by using serial lights around trees without realizing that the electrification of a tree heats its bark and destabilizes its growth. But then, if there is no one to question, the bureaucrats and political parties will never bother. Recently, in Tamil Nadu, during a political rally by a film star, the crowd climbed a tree to avoid being crushed in a stampede. In the process, the branch of a tree broke down, wounding all those who climbed up the tree. When such conditions prevail, the tree is the victim. During the monsoon, trees reportedly fall due to heavy rain. But if we look at the fallen tree closely, we will realize that it was due to heavy concretization of the root zone. Nowadays, for every development project, trees are felled or transplanted. The common man has no clue about the number of trees felled or transplanted. We believe the data given by the authorities. Whenever some mass cutting is contemplated, environmentally conscious people raise their voice. If our voice is feeble, then the development project goes further without any checks.

Nails puncture the bark, damaging the inner layers, including the xylem and phloem, which are responsible for transporting water and nutrients throughout the tree. The protective bark of a tree shields the inner living tissue from pathogens and insects. Nailing punctures this defense, creating an entry point for infection. A healthy tree may grow over the wound, but a weak or young tree may not recover. Similarly, artificial lights wrapped around trees as decoration affect the lifecycle of the trees and the animals and birds associated with these trees. light at night can disturb the tree’s natural resting cycle and interfere with its process of photosynthesis. Similarly, covering the roots with concrete suffocates and starves the tree by preventing essential water, air, and nutrients from reaching its root system. Right from nailing to transplanting, trees are subject to untold miseries. India is the country that demonstrated to the world that trees are our brothers and sisters. Chipko movement raised the brows of world leaders who were awestricken at the kind of love shown by Indians. Trees occupy a very important role in our literature. Trees do not speak, yet they breathe life into everything around us. Let us become their voice, their guardians, and their companions in survival. For when a tree falls, a part of humanity falls with it.

Why do people throw garbage in unauthorised areas?

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Published in South Express on 4.10.25

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or Clean India Mission is a country-wide campaign initiated by the Government of India on 2 October 2014 to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management, and to create Open Defecation Free villages. As we enter the 12th year of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, it is unfortunate that the mission has not evoked much interest. In other words, there is not much visible change in the garbage handling. Almost every municipality is struggling to manage the ever-increasing amount of garbage. I asked a question in a WhatsApp group to understand why individuals tend to throw garbage. From your WhatsApp survey, it seems people are aware of the problem but frustrated. Optimism exists, but anger dominates—showing that citizens want change but don’t feel empowered to make it happen. A few of the views that came up are as under “People lack civic consciousness.” “No dedicated garbage bins, periodically cleared.”“Independent houses have no lifting facility like apartments. “People don’t want to pay for garbage.” “No strict rules or enforcement of penalties.”

One member added, “7 years back, I was staying in Amrutahalli, Bengaluru. It was not so developed during those days. But garbage vans used to come, whistle near every house, and used to pick up garbage. The garbage pickers were responsible during those days.” In fact, this system is in vogue in some municipalities where even publicity songs are played by the collection van. Users put the garbage in the van daily. But all said and done, we still see the eyesore dumps in all cities. Talking about penalties, another member added, “Garbage cess is already imposed. Not sure whether the collection started? Community composting, as done in the HSR layout, is one option that can be thought of. Every street or group of streets can have a dedicated place for community composting for all the wet waste generated in the area.”  

It is a fact that civic sense and responsibility are missing or perhaps not much developed in India. Bengaluru was ranked the fifth dirtiest city in India in the Swachh Survekshan 2025 survey. Of course, this survey was made among the cities with a population above one million. Along with Bengaluru, Ranchi, Chennai, Ludhiana, and Madurai were ranked the top dirtiest cities. Unfortunately, some of the southern states that claim the highest percentage of education level have more unauthorized garbage dumping. Cleanliness is everyone’s responsibility. It is not fair if somebody keeps his home very clean but does not care about the surroundings. Every year, we remember Mahatma Gandhi on Oct 2nd, because not only is it his birthday, but also that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was rightly started by the PM on this day.