Published in Dwarka Express on 31.12.2022

Next time when you watch a tiger or a lion in a cage, just wait for a second to empathise with the animal. Is happiness, a sole property of a human being? Why should an animal with huge amount of energy confine in a cage with little moving space? Are we so inhumane to imprison the animal or a bird for no fault of it? According to PETA (PEOPLE FOR THE ETHICAL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS) about 40 million birds in the U.S. are kept caged and often improperly cared for—bored, lonely, and a long way from their natural homes. Circus and zoo are the important caging locations.

But still, one can find the unhealthy and weak animals in zoos. Tigers in the circus are always seen walking or moving within the insufficient cages to exert the extra energy it has to adopt to the circumstances. Elephants are seen chained heavily in temples often. While it is not advisable to leave the animals unchained, the temple authorities in many temples treat them with humane approaches. But we have seen snake charmers and bear tamers used to treat them cruelly. Even today, tigers and other animals are killed mercilessly for their body parts. Not just wild animals, even sometime the pet animals get harsh treatment. One can see the literally weeping sounds from pets just because they are not let out to answer the call of nature or just because they do not obey the pet parent’s commands (not always). Buffalos and bulls are harshly beaten quite often. Monkeys are seen beaten quite often and are made to perform somersaults. Birds, especially the exotic species are the worst sufferers. In India, though there is law to prevent caging birds in private homes, the same law does not seem to have any impact on the exotic love birds. An elephant being hit by the trains or electrocuted by the fences are not new to us. We enter into their territory but condemn them for intruding our villages next to the forest areas. Culling of camels in a massive scale in Australia is such an inhumane act of this century

Modern zoos, like Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai, National Zoological Park Delhi or Nehru zoological park, Hyderabad are certainly conceptualised to accommodate the wild animals with enough space. In Tamil Nādu, elephant camps are conducted every year to facilitate the animals to enjoy certain amount of freedom and rejuvenate their energy. At the same time Indian wildlife act has been amended recently to remove certain wild animals from the schedules which provided them full cover against poachers. For example, certain species will not enjoy any cover under the amended wildlife act 2020 which is not a good sign. The biodiversity of the nation must be preserved at any cost. The cruelty towards animals must stop.

V. Selvarajan

Published in Dwarka Express on 24.12.2022

Rashtriya Kisan Diwas or National farmers day 23.12.2022!

A day to thank the farmers! This day is observed on 23^rd of December every year to commemorate the Birth anniversary of Choudhary Charan Singh, India’s fifth Prime Minister. But how many know that there is a day for farmers? If a survey is taken to know when is the National Farmers Day observed, perhaps 80% of respondents may not be able to recall. In a way, no one is to blame, as on the one hand there are myriad ‘days to celebrate’, and on the other, there are many other priorities from the day of genesis. If a day is celebrated to thank, wish or socialise, then did we do that for at least one farmer on this day. If you happen to travel in a train or a bus on the countryside on this day, one can notice the poor landless farmer toiling busy in their daily farming activities. Unless they toil this day, they may not reap their crop in the ensuing harvest month.  Come January, various regional festivals like Sankranti, Pongal and Makar Sankranti are eagerly awaited by all, especially the farmers. If alone the Rain God is kind enough and the storms cross the shores silently, there will be some relief or else, the farmer is not going to be happy.  

“Farmers, our annadattas are the reason we all can sit in our comforts and have food and live easy. But its important for us all as consumers to ensure a good fair portion of what we spend on the food produce goes back to them. We should also encourage and buy food that is produced without chemicals, organically using heirloom seeds with best practices. While we are at it, let us also resolve to recognise the invisible women and landless farmers too for their great contribution” says the Ananthoo, a Sustainable Agriculture & safe food activist, Chennai As per data from department of Agriculture & farmers welfare, The share of the agriculture & allied sector in total Gross value added in the economy, improved to 20.2 per cent in the year 2020-21 and 18.8 per cent in 2021-22. This may be a good trend but overall share of agriculture in GDP is not that encouraging

It is estimated that India’s agriculture sector accounts only for around 14 percent of the country’s economy but for 42 percent of total employment. As around 55 percent of India’s arable land depends on precipitation, the amount of rainfall during the monsoon season is very important for economic activity. Given the scenario, one may conclude that farmers may not and will not be happy unless timely action is taken for farmers welfare, food security and dependence on indigenous produces, preferably organic

V. Selvarajan

Published in Dwarka Express on 17.12.2022

The question may appear hilarious for many!  Yes, tree man, lake man, garbage man, river man or green man… and so on. Some of the titles are being liberally used and sometimes prefixed to names also. Someone whispers loudly, ‘so what, when God Himself is tagged to someone’s name as GODMAN…’, After all, when national awards are not that easy, many may venture out to find some short cut.

How to become a lake man? It’s seemingly simple. All that he has to do is file a few RTIs, PILs and highlight the issues concerned to a lake, a river, jungle or trees. If these missions get highlighted in the local circles as a crusader of environment, he will become a lake man. Or, if you are a political wizard, you confide in someone and ask them to do so for you. Often, we come across whispers, ‘that guy is not sincerely interested in promoting the environment, this guy wants to be known as lake man’. Such cynical statements are not new. There may or may not be truths. But every time, an activist emerges strongly and firmly stands for environment causes, there used to be criticisms.

Committed few do not last long. Either they give up or become extinct. Is it that Darwin’s theory of the survival of the fittest? Dr G D Agarwal alias Swami Gyan Swaroop Sanand, an 86-year-old environmental activist from India, died on 11 October 2018, after 111 days into his fast. He was protesting inaction on keeping the Ganga River free from pollution. True environmentalist, he had a vision for river Ganga. 4 years have gone, neither Ganga is clean nor he is remembered.

Green activism is indeed a red-hot subject and much debated about too. We are not discouraging volunteers or ridiculing genuine protagonist of a social cause. Fake ventures should be dissuaded. It is an era of materialism and identifying the fake is complex. Very few pursue environmental cause voluntarily and if someone ventures to do so, one should stir him.

Freedom fighters and those few who laid their life to free the nation from the clutches of the British rulers are seldom remembered for their sacrifices and dedication. Many faces were dumped in dusted photo frames and some have already reached the landfills. But human struggles persist. Hardly a modern youth comes forward to take the environmental cause, either voluntarily or professionally. Contemporary curriculum has opened up the environment stream and a plethora of opportunities are brewing up the form of enormous career options. Waste segregation, water resource management, plastic alternatives, eco-friendly products, carbon trading, organic farming, the list is endless. One may contribute to nature while simultaneously earn his livelihood. Environmental engineering and bio technology are emerging as preferred career option. Given the transformation, environment must turn better for future generations, but will it be so? A pertinent question, that only posterity could answer. So, lake man tag may not be that bad if one lives for the cause. Genuineness should be felt rather than seen!

V. Selvarajan

Published in Dwarka Express on 5.12.2022

If you land in Mumbai, you will never miss the bird’s eye view of Dharavi, one of the biggest slums in Asia and that too if you are allotted the window seat in any airlines. Your ‘love at first sight’ rendezvous with Mumbai will vanish in 17 years, hopefully, if Adani delivers a new look. Congrats Adani, for your ‘not so surprising’ win of the bidding. Dharavi will wear a new look, wow, what a new architype, says the protagonists of ‘redevelopment’. Yes, of late, the word DEVELOPMENT has been pushed to oblivion as the new paradigm REDEVELOPMENT has come to stay.

Dharavi Slum, Mumbai

The not-too-far-off ground breaking ceremony aside, coming to the ground reality, with nearly 7 to 10 lac people, Dharavi, the inimitable slum spread in just 2.1 KMs and is nonetheless a replica of an iconic Indian urban scene. But one cannot set aside the slum just like that. Many ‘architects’ of blockbuster films like Dheewar, Nayakan, Kaala prospered on Dharavi. One can’t miss a church, masque or mandir if he treks through Dharavi. Dharavi formed an asylum for migrant labourers, mainly Tamils. Unsustainable and haphazard growth of this area could be due to its easy susceptibility of the demigod Netas who made it indeed an endless political Kurukshetra. These ‘change-makers’ never risked any change in fact. However perpetual lobbying by inhabitants could equip Dharavi with water supply, electricity and suburban rail connectivity so far. 

Dharavi us not yet another slum that are equated with poverty. It exports textiles, jewelleries etc worth ~$500 million. The per capita income of the slum may be ~ Rs 3 lac per annum. It is rather a quintessence of Indian economy in general. If a Mumbaikar you meet says that he is from Dharavi, none looks them down. Dharavi is rather an ‘icon’ as good as its gateway of India or Dadar or Bandra. So, Dharavi is a developed slum sans hygiene and degraded environment. This probably may be the motive behind the corporatized ‘redevelopment’ of this area

Adani, the ‘buyer’ of the slum at a cost of Rs 5069 Crore, of this Rs 20000 Crore worth redevelopment project is the new saviour who could successfully snatch the deal from other bidders, DLF and Naman who quoted far less. But one has to live another 20 years to see how the metamorphosis takes place. Life goes on as usual; we plan, develop and redevelop. Will the Dharavikar or for that matter the Mumbaikar really benefit from the model in the offing? Let us wait… wait for, say, 2 decades to see. Many may not be there, many may forget, so what, life goes on!

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.

.

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.”

Published in Dwarka Express on 29.10.2022

‘Say No to crackers’…the jingle was going on for a long time, with no tangible respite!

Every social platform carried the adage but with little effect.  Air pollution and noise pollution besides, a large occurrence of fire accidents are being reported in media. Somewhere shops and stores were burnt. In some places, the tender hands of the tiny tots were wounded. Several hospitals reported high influx of burn injury cases. Pollution peaked up. Perhaps Delhi may boast of ‘drop’ in air pollution, as AQI index dips to ‘VERY POOR’ category from the last year’s ‘SEVERE’ one. Who knows the truth!

Not so long back, when someone filed the PIL in Supreme Court, things started stirring. The 2007 verdict by SC came heavy on the people as well as policy makers. In fact, Supreme court came out with a balanced verdict taking into consideration, some concerns such as employment loss of cracker making industry and religious sentiments. At the same time, it also did not ignore the status of child labour in fireworks factories

Precisely, cracker bursting slot was restricted between 8 and 10 PM. All Police stations were mandated to monitor the same strictly. Low polluting crackers & Green Crackers with permitted decibel limits and emission norms were allowed. Court also banned sale of firecrackers on e-commerce websites. Sale of crackers was restricted to licensed traders, and one can’t buy online too. In essence the law of the land must be enforced and steps were indeed initiated by the Government in Centre and States, in compliance of the SC decision.

However, going by the latest pollution data published by CPCB, it is clear that there seems to be no breather except for the timing restrictions (we still breath pollutants). Even timings also are also violated in many a place, as noise was heard beyond midnight. In India, one comfortably quotes others’ misdeeds to justify his own misdeeds. The eventual victim is the common good. Next time one should not say, ‘POLLUTION KILLS’ when he violates pollution norms. One should not say, ‘PLANT MORE TREES’ when he cuts trees. One should not say, ‘SAY NO TO PLASTICS’ when he cannot stop using the same. Who cares?

Published in Dwarka Express on 22.10.22

“Clean City, Green City!”, this catchphrase signposts may be seen in almost all cities in India. Indubitably both are important. But is it true that the authorities focus and balance both the activities concurrently? Cleaning is assigned normally to Municipalities, while development authorities may focus on greening. Ultimately lack of coordination, jurisdictional hitches and infra expansion line-ups result in felling of trees and end in denudation of the potential green belts on the one side while garbage piles up in unauthorised areas. It’s in fact typical of any metro.

Recently in Bangalore outskirts, when the Panchayat authorities for removal of garbage from an unauthorised dumping yard, the Panchayat development officer (PDO) lamented over his continuous effort which never yielded results due to callousness of the locals. His bone of contention was that locals dump the garbage in the empty plot on the sides of the road and pleaded helplessness in handling the perpetrators of the unauthorised dumping. He even attempted erecting a board warning Rs 1000 penalty on those who dump in the site. Notwithstanding the billboards in local language, it appears that no one cares. In the PDO’s view, it’s difficult to monitor the culprits 24×7. And thus, there is no solution yet.

A suggestion was given to him to plant trees in the identified unauthorised dumping spots to discourage dumping. Hailing the idea, he arranged a massive tree planting drive for the entire stretch. For a few days, there was no littering in the location but after the transitory gap, dumping rejuvenated. The planted saplings scuffle to pop out of the dumpsite, thanks to the heavy deluge in the recent months.

So, one may conclude that greening or cleaning are two different tasks and just the slogan ‘clean and green’ goes cool. Bangalore, was one known as Garden city, but with the spurt in population, it is going to wane. The once ‘Garden’ city has now the dubious ‘honour’ of being known as ‘Garbage’ City. Neither cleaning, nor greening, it is the civic sense which is more important and both people and policy makers are to blame for the malady

Published in Dwarka Express on 15.11.22

The farmers are fuming. Women are weeping but the project is all set to take off. The Parandur Airport at Tamilnadu’s Kanchipuram district, not very far off from Chenni Airport  is being promoted as a Greenfield project and farmers, environmentalists and women are raising their voice. “Raise your voice, it counts” the popular saying has gone with winds and the green fields which was the livelihood of thousands of families are expected to be in crossroads. Compensation, resettlement and the like are the normal garb under which decision makers hide themselves and make tall claims that the development projects are being impeded by the NGOs in false plea. Farmers and locals from 13 villages will be losing their precious agricultural lands. Nearly 3000 families are depending on the agriculture income in this area. About 4500 acres are farming area will be converted into airport and soon the land will be handed over to adanis and ambanis under the guise of greenfield ventures. A 1000 houses will be razed down. The DPR is being ready for a project cost of Rs 10000 Crore and the feasibility reports envisage that for every Rs 100 spent, it will fetch Rs 300. Another argument in favour of an airport seems to be that the present airport at Meenambakkam Chennai which is just 60 KMs away from the proposed one will not be able to cater to the need of ever-growing air traffic which is expected to grow to 3.50 crore from the present level of 2.2 crore within next 7 years. Any everyone knows that the present airport was modernaised and expanded recently. Why the planners could not envisage the growth potentials at that time? This question remains unanswered. Environmental NGOs like Poovulagin Nanbargal say that Tamilnadu has many airports which could be developed into international airports to address the growing traffic. They also say how an airport at Parandur will not only destroy agricultural lands but also evaporate the natural waterbodies in the identified areas. Already Chennai faced the devastating floods in 2021 and before also, and one of the reasons was poor augmentation of water sources in the nearby districts.

Ekanapuram, the worst affected village among these 13 notified villages will completely vanish from Indian Map soon. 2000 locals from this village are planning to conduct a protest march to the Secretariate on 17^th Oct 2022. Will the policy makers listen and change their stance?

We have seen that in the history of Independent India, the policy makers never listen to common man but they comfortably ignore the fact that nature does not listen to anyone and when it shows, the damage will be too late and irreparable and irrevocable

Published in Dwarka Express on 8.10.22

It’s a vending machine with a difference and the launch goes viral in social media though the same was launched 4 months back on the World Environment Day on 5^th June 2022 in Greater Chennai Corporation jointly with Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board. You just insert the Rs 10 coin and a yellow cloth bag will pop out. Entitled ‘meendum manjappai’ in Tamil meaning ‘yellow bags again’ means that use of cloth bags again’. What is so significant about yellow cloth bag. What is the background? Not long ago, all stores & shops used to give typical yellow coloured carry bag for buyers as a compliment. The bags used to carry the advertisement about shops or occasions. In every marriage house, guests used to get a complimentary yellow bag consisting of Coconut, betelnut, blowse piece for ladies, sweets etc. This yellow bag is religiously preserved by tamilians to re use for purchasing vegetables and provisions in their day today life. In fact a ethnically dark complexioned Tamil guy was always depicted wearing a dhoti, carrying an yellow bag in hand and wearing bright ash lines on the forehead. All said and done, a Tamilian is always admired by other states, especially in North for simplicity. When it comes to the question of austerity and eco-friendly way of living, the people of Tamilnadu always stand tall. The reusable yellow bag concept has slowly vanished with the changing lifestyle preferences. Now in an effort to revive the concept, the Tamilnadu govt started promoting the same and appealed to everyone to use yellow bag instead of polythene bags. Why yellow colour in particular? Yellow is always related to prosperity and wellbeing. Thus the bag gained importance in 20^th century, though this concept is well intertwined with the Tamil culture. The viral spread of plastic carry bags slowly evaporated the ever-known culture of manjappai. With the Centre banning the single use plastic from July 2022, the yellow bag concept is picking up. Grasping the opportunity, the shops and marriage houses have started re introducing the bags in bigger way. It is a welcome step and not only bring back the forgotten habit of reusability of cloth bags but also bring a sense of austerity at times consumerism and materialism are in the peak.

Published in Dwarka Express on 1.10.22

A video from Dwarka Delhi has gone viral in media! Yes, that’s e-dahan of Rawan. Curiosity growing, everyone in social media wanted to know how the same is done practically. All Dwarka Residents Federation (AIDF) claims that this is the second year that they are trying e-Dahan of Rawan. The king of Sri Lanka, Rawan, an otherwise multi-talented demon, might feel happy from heaven (if his ‘hell’ term is over!) only to see that large effigies with loaded crackers will never be again burnt at least in coming years, if not immediately. Festival season is on and all over the country, idols of Ganesha have already reached our waterbodies and Durga Maa are waiting for visarjan.

Come September, the celebrations go full swing everywhere, even if economy doesn’t envisage wastage of huge junk of Indian worth. While it is also true that the festivals give employment to many, perishable products also pose a big challenge. As usual the distant murmur of environmentalists seldom becomes ultrasonic! If the Indian festivals go eco-friendly, obviously, this will add to the traditional flavour of festivals. Holi was once celebrated with natural colours. The plastic plates and polythene bags will be replaced by reusable plates and bags for distributing prasad. Idols will never be made of Plaster of Paris but clay soil. Burning of Rawan effigies will go on electronic mode. Silent Diwali all over the country will bring back the glory of pre-dynamite era. History indicates that when Ram returned to Ayodya, there were lightings not bombs and crackers. In South, demon Narkasura’s killing does not have any evidence of celebrations with crackers. There is someone whispering, ‘these environmentalists have no work. How could we sacrifice the grand gala celebrations? Crackers pollution is not a big deal, when compared to Industrial pollution’. When Industrial pollution is challenged in Green Courts, the protagonists of development denounce the petitions, on the plea of hampering development. Someone recently quipped, ‘who would live in polluted Capital, we are shifting to Bangalore!’

So.. when Banglaore is also polluted, where to go?