Tag Nature

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.

Cyclone – brings strangers, raises brows!

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Published in South Express on 6.12.25

Yes, I am referring to the Amur falcons that were carried to Point Caimere by the strong winds during the recent cyclone. This attracted media attention and raised the eyebrows of environmentalists. It is but natural that a cyclone creates havoc. Obviously, Cyclone Ditwah also brought heavy rain and strong winds to the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast. After creating havoc in Sri Lanka, it has slowly lost its intensity as it crossed the Indian shore. But there were some unusual developments during this cyclone. Various marine species and birds were washed ashore. Two Amur falcons were blown off course during their migration and landed on the Point Calimere (Kodiakarai) coast. These birds are passage migrants and typically migrate through Gujarat and Maharashtra, but the cyclone forced them to divert from their usual route. Are these isolated cases, and could they be neglected? We need to wait and see whether these falcons will stay in the eastern coast or will return to their regular migration route in the western shore. In general, the Amur Falcon stays in India for a brief time. We do not know how the stranded birds will respond to this change. (Picture courtesy: birds of the Indian Subcontinent by Richard Garmmett & others)

This is just one side of the game. I recently came across a viral video showing an elephant saving a spotted deer stranded in floodwaters caused by the cyclone. In another instance, a leopard climbs onto an elephant to escape the floods. These animal behaviours are abnormal and misleading. Comments have already indicated that these video clips are AI-generated. Why these social media champions pass false and fabricated videos is anyone’s guess. Perhaps, more followers may help them monetise their page. But in the process, they pass on misinformation. Today’s netizens must ensure twice that a viral video is genuine or doctored. Else the misinformation would spread like wildfire. The fallout of such misinformation will be harmful and create disturbance to the behavioural pattern of human beings.

Cyclone is a serious matter. Today, Sri Lanka is under a nationwide state of emergency after Cyclone Ditwah triggered catastrophic flooding across the western provinces, killing at least 366 people and leaving entire neighbourhoods submerged. Residents wade through chest-high waters, stranded without food or shelter as they plead for urgent assistance. It seems to be the worst disaster in the country’s history. According to the Disaster Management Centre, key infrastructure like roads and bridges, power and rail networks are damaged and over a million people are affected. While Cyclone Ditwah has weakened into a deep depression near Tamil Nadu, officials warn that floodwaters may take days to recede. Under such a serious calamity, spreading rumours and misinformation will add more damage than good

Where are the migratory ducks?

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Sardar Charan Singh appeared downcast when we boarded his e Rickshaw from the hotel where we stayed. E-Rickshaw No. 66 had not seen many tourists this season. As a senior birding guide with four decades of experience, Charan Singh, the authorised rickshaw driver, is more than just a driver. He shares insights about the woolly-necked stork, shovellers, Garganey, comb ducks, and the collared scops owl. While these uncommon bird species may not be so important to normal tourists, seasoned birders often seek out such unique names while chatting with the rickshaw drivers. To successfully capture images of birds like the Garganey, Gadwall, Red-crested Pochard, Comb Duck, Black Bittern, or Nightjar, birdwatchers often rely on the expertise of guides. Sardar knows exactly where the Nightjars are likely to be perched, ensuring that his customers leave delighted. However, Charan Singh was feeling dissatisfied this time. Due to the El Niño effect, the weather was unusually hot, even for November. Typically, this time of year would attract many migratory birds to Bharatpur. But Charan Singh is determined to show some special birds to the bird lovers. So, even before the birders get disappointed, he seeks permission to go to a nearby area, about a KM away from the national park.  Though initially it appeared a typical guide mindset to market something, a drive with him was not disappointing. The birds seemed to have taken a new abode, it looked like. We had a glimpse of all three species of Cormorants, Spoonbills, Openbills and night herons besides the usual egrets, jacanas, coots and moorhens. Thousands of water birds congregated here for hatching and breeding. It appears that the Rajasthan Govt had decided to convert this place into a heronry. At least this is what a rusted board indicated. When we returned to the Sanctuary and started moving inside, we were a little bit disappointed as there were not many water birds except Painted Storks in thousands. Charan Singh said that the breeding of Painted storks was delayed this year. Some common birds were also missing. Saurus crane was not seen anywhere. We were looking for migrants but were disappointed. Initially, we thought of making two rounds, one in the morning and another in the evening. But, realising that migrants were missing, we packed up and wanted to return. But Charan Singh took us around on unknown routes, trying to help us spot a few uncommon birds. Of course, it helped us to spot a Jackal and a spotted deer. But that is not what we looked for. Though the local guides still pin hope on the arrival of migratory ducks by November end, the fact of delay in migration clearly indicates that the El Niño situation may be intensified into climate change. In old books, there is evidence for counting 500- 600 species; the present-day guides estimate 300 to 400 species during the migratory season. The global hotspot, Keoladeo National Park, which looks deserted and dry, does not appear to have any hope for tomorrow. However, we could record 82 species of birds in 4 hours

Environment can’t be saved in air-conditioned halls!

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Published in South Express on 25.10.25

‘Banker by profession, Birder by choice!’ Yes! This is how I want to reflect on my personal journey. I wish to deviate from my usual editorial to share my thoughts on environmental activism and whether I am fit for the passion chosen! During my college education in zoology, I became fascinated by bird migration, a topic that my professor handled amazingly. This inspired me to take up birdwatching as a hobby. Through watching birds, I became motivated to engage in conservation, which ultimately led me to environmental activism. Pursuing a career in banking while doing some justice to conservation was not that easy. I took to environmental activities four decades back to start my first conservation work in Tamil Nadu. After spending nearly four decades as an environmental activist, I am not confident whether I do justice to this title. To truly make a difference for our environment, we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work at the grassroots level! The Rio De Janeiro Earth Summit in the 90s awakened many of us to think globally and act locally.  I put a question, ‘Why should I wait for my retirement?’ Let me start doing something! So, I contemplated forming a social organisation with the support of enlightened friends, and took efforts to get a lake declared as a Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, where a huge number of birds were present. Then came the jolt that I was transferred to Delhi by my Bank. I took 7 years to find a like-minded team in Delhi to continue my mission. At last, I founded Green Circle in Dwarka, New Delhi, in 2001. I could have chosen to be an independent environmentalist or could have written books on birds and wildlife. However, my inner voice guided me to focus on making small collective efforts, believing that a team can create a more powerful impact than an individual. Green Circle has now traversed 25 years of environmental action, during which I have gained more valuable lessons than I would have through solo efforts. Looking back, I feel proud of what I’ve accomplished. From designing flyers to maintaining accounts and organizing dharnas, rallies, and grassroots climate action programs, namely, plogging and tree planting, I’ve engaged deeply with environmental efforts. I’ve also presented at seminars alongside esteemed scholars, all under the Green Circle banner with a dedicated team. However, I believe our actions must lead to real conservation. Merely holding poster-making competitions or presenting papers in air-conditioned halls won’t combat climate change. Many global conventions face the same fate. As we approach our Silver Jubilee celebration on November 1, 2025, in Dwarka, New Delhi, I urge my fellow Green Circle members to reflect on these thoughts seriously.

Green Circle celebrates Silver Jubilee in Dwarka, New Delhi

Green Circle, a voluntary environmental organization that began its journey in Dwarka 25 years ago, proudly celebrates its Silver Jubilee Year. Founded with the vision of creating a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable community, Green Circle has grown into one of the most active and respected environmental groups in the region. Over the years, Green Circle has undertaken a wide range of impactful initiatives to promote environmental awareness, community participation, and ecological preservation. Its consistent efforts have inspired citizens, schools, and institutions to join the green movement. To commemorate its Silver Jubilee, Green Circle is organizing a grand community event, “Green Mela 2025” on 1st November 2025 at Bal Bhawan International School, Sector-12, Dwarka. The Chief Guest of the day is Shri Ankit Singh IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Dwarka. The Guests of Honour are: Dr Dhananjay Joshi, Professor GGSIP, Kunal Gupta, Director Bal Bhavan International School, Dr Sumit Dookia- Professor GGSIPU, Poonam K Gaur, Asst. News Editor NBT, Dr Jaspreet Kaur, Principal Bal Bhavan International School, and Robin Sharma, Founder Dwarka Express. Eminent persons like Adv. Vikrant Tongad, Dr.Deepmala, Jyoti Raghavan Dr Arindam Ray, Shristi Srivasthava, Prof. Shankar Sahay, Poonam Gupta and Monika Singh will be the special guests. The event will bring together 50+ schools and over 1000 participants, featuring eco-stalls, painting and poster competitions, street plays, cultural performances, and interactive environmental sessions under the theme “Environment First, Efforts Must.” An estimated 2,500 footfalls are expected.

Birds are vanishing fast!

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Published in South Express on 18.10.25

Where No Vultures Fly, a 1951 British film directed by Harry Watt and starring Antony Steel and Dinah Sheridan, was an adventure movie based on the real-life story of the conservator Mervyn Cowie in the jungles of Kenya. Now vultures are rarely seen. I still remember the Gole market in Karol Bagh, which had meat shops in the 90s. I used to wonder at the huge flock of giant-sized vultures waiting for the leftovers. When I used to travel by a scooter from Gole Market towards East Patel Nagar, enjoying the winter weather, I never missed the migratory Swallows gregariously flying low and near me, while waiting at signals. Gone are those days, as flyovers and metro pillars dominate most signals. The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is the state bird of Rajasthan. Recently, I saw a video clip in social media that tends to promote a whiskey brand called Godawan 173, relating it to the near extinction of GIB. The Rs 500000 per bottle of whiskey is Indian-made (Is it self-reliance?) Yes, you read it correctly. It is Rs 5 lac, coming in a beautiful Jaipur Blue bottle. While the researchers dispute the actual number of birds (not 173, they claim), it is a shame that a whiskey brand is promoting conservation of GIB without even caring to contribute to the conservation

Rapid urbanization has taken its toll. Even the most common sparrow has become uncommon in cities and towns. But still, they are part of rural India. Recently, it was reported that the India Roller, Karnataka’s state bird (neelkanta in Kannada) has been downgraded to the ‘Near Threatened (NT)’ category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from the earlier category of ‘Least Concern (LC)’. Whenever we go birdwatching in natural areas like lakes and rural scrub jungles, we seek out the Indian Roller, which is often regarded as one of the most beautiful birds. I still remember seeing this bird perched on power lines in large numbers back in the 90s. While travelling by train, it was fascinating to observe this bird, with its distinctive big head and bright blue colour, as it flew by. Unfortunately, it has now become a rarity. In Bangalore, the winter season has nearly begun, but migratory bird species are notably absent. Man-made climate change is believed to be the primary cause of the rapid decline of these rare species. This trend is evident in other regions as well. For instance, in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur National Park, migration has yet to start. Similar situations are occurring in many other places. Activities such as the beautification of water bodies, unregulated ecotourism, and careless development projects are causing us to lose our valuable natural assets. The vanishing of the bird species is a stark reality of how fragile migratory birds have become. Stronger global action is needed to protect rare species before they too vanish.  (Photo courtesy: Karthik, Bangalore, and IUCN website)

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.

Stay away from wild animals!

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Published in South Express on 13.9.25

Recently, in the Bannerghatta forest area in Karnataka, a leopard climbed onto a safari jeep that was completely secured with a grill. The leopard attacked a boy inside the jeep by reaching its foreleg through the viewing hole. The incident was captured on video and went viral, as the boy was hospitalized for minor bruises. It’s important to remember that animals often act spontaneously and defensively. As for the safety measures in this case, there does not seem to have been any lapse on the part of the forest department. Even the boy was not at fault. An investigation is probing the cause. Perhaps the animal may have sensed a threat from the tourists and reacted accordingly. As the viewing hole was small, the animal could not enter the jeep.

Ecotourism everywhere has become a menace, disturbing the privacy of the wild animals. The tourists must indeed keep a safe distance from wild animals. More so in the case of stray animals. In one of the safaris, I found myself very close to a tigress. The jeep did not have grills to secure the tourists. In their excitement to capture close-up photographs, tourists often tend to put their heads and hands outside the jeep. Additionally, safari drivers quickly share information with other jeeps via wireless communication. In no minute, all the jeeps parade in the spot to get better scores from their passengers. Tourists comfortably forget that they are disturbing the privacy of the animals. Many instances of attacks by wild animals have been reported from various parts of the country. While wild animals are making headlines, we must also acknowledge the issue of stray dogs.

The behavior of stray animals is often unpredictable. Animals behave instinctively, while humans are rational beings. Neither the animals nor the affected people should be neglected. The grim stories about stray dogs continue. Even as the man-animal conflicts continue, both need a better deal. The revised court order gave some respite for stray dog enthusiasts. But the victims of stray dog attacks are at large. We should not forget that although humans are at the top of the food chain, they cannot live without other living organisms, right from carnivores to street dogs. The Government should take balanced action to protect both human beings and animals, as it is bound by the constitutional obligation to provide a better livelihood to all living beings. 

“Tree falling: natural or man-made?”

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

‘Massive tree falls on a car’ the caption is almost a daily affair in any newspaper, especially during the rainy season. Whenever some car is damaged or someone gets severely wounded, the usual mudslinging game starts. The municipality is at fault, according to a resident always. Why does a tree fall? It may be due to various reasons. One excuse is that the tree has become old. Sometimes, termites kill a tree. Mostly the falling of a tree is during a monsoon time. Heavy rains, cyclones, or floods may uproot a tree. While natural disasters are also mostly due to human apathy, this may be excused as acts of God and beyond control.

But man-made tree falls cannot be exempted.  India has been losing its forest cover drastically over the last few years. Urbanization has taken a heavy toll on urban green cover. Bangalore, once lauded as a garden city has shed its tag now. Some signature trees are seen here and there. But the age-old trees are falling victim to the axes of the Municipality which once felt proud of greening the city. About two years back, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) went for a massive plantation along the roadsides. The same BBMP is cutting huge branches of well-grown trees as they are creating impediments to traffic. In some of the main roads like Palace Road, trees were felled to expand the roads. It is not just Bangalore that has lost its charm. Many cities face the same fate. Deeply concerned residents raise their voices against felling here and there. But authorities do not seem to heed to the feeble voice of the people.

Why do trees fall suddenly? During a recent tree-falling incident, residents insisted that the white topping was the major reason. White topping is a technique used to resurface roads by laying a layer of Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) on top of an existing road. It is claimed that white topping is a long-term solution for strengthening or rehabilitating roads and is often used to address potholes and poor drainage. For instance, on the road from Mekhri Circle to IISC in Bangalore, where white topping was attempted, there was no need to axe the trees, as the purpose was not road expansion, but to strengthen the road. The authorities made a grave mistake. Similarly, in Delhi, the Delhi Tree Preservation Act advocates a penalty for concretization of the tree base. Trees lose their breathing space because of the cementing of the base. Cutting off the taproots or secondary roots while laying underground cables destabilizes trees. Sometimes, nailing the barks to fix the ad boards weakens the trees or tying serial lights to decorate places like banquet halls and malls. We only blame the authorities vehemently but when it comes to civic responsibilities, the common man is also to blame as he lacks civic sense. Road widening for infra projects has become a major excuse for uprooting well-grown trees. The tree falling is primarily a man-made activity but the blame is shifted to natural calamity conveniently. Nature obviously will take its toll if she is not cared for properly. (Courtesy: Representative picture from the internet)

No honey bees, no food!

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

“Honey, I love you!”  

Does honey symbolize love? Do bees personalize briskness? It doesn’t look so from the treatment meted out to bees. Honey also plays a major role in medicine. But we do not want honey bees in our proximity. If honey bees can talk, they will say, ‘We have not come to your place, you have encroached on our place’. But it does not bear any logic or rhyme with the common man. ‘I cannot live here, my children are in danger, I cannot open the balcony,’ says an annoyed Rupa a flat owner on the 15th floor of an apartment in Bangalore. She has gone to the extent of suing the Apartment Management if they do not kill or drive away the bees immediately.

The supporting voice is loud. Many joined her in making the protest as strong as possible. Mr. Kumar also quoted a recent happening to substantiate the ‘menace’. In a recent incident, 50 people including 20 women and a girl child were attacked in Chennimalai when they assembled at a temple for a marriage function. Heavy smoke from the marriage hall (probably from the kitchen) engulfed a bee hive in a nearby tree, which made the swarm attack the marriage crowd. All were hospitalized and are getting first aid. No causality was reported. But the fear in people’s minds is very high. Residential colonies often adopt to serious measures like smoking with chemicals and killing the bees to pacify the residents. But many residents complain that the bees again invade and therefore it is only a temporary solution. Alert conservation activists always fight with the management to save bees as they pretty well know that killing bees would cut the important link in the food chain, as bees are said to occupy a major share of pollinators, while butterflies, wasps, beetles, and birds also pollinate. Interestingly the bees are treated as vermin and the pesticide manufacturers give treatment solutions. However, as per one study, human life may also come to a standstill when the bees are eliminated. This is because 80% of pollinations are suggested to be done by bees. If pollination does not take place, we may not get fruits or any agricultural produce. When such an important link in the food chain is neglected by law there is no protection for honey bees in any of the schedules of Wildlife Act. Of all the bees, rock bees (Apis dorsata)are giant bees found all over India in sub-mountainous regions up to an altitude of 2700 m. They construct single comb in open about 6 feet long and 3 feet deep. They shift the place of the colony often. Rock bees are ferocious and difficult to rear, though they produce about 36 Kg of honey per comb per year. Beekeeping is a recognized activity that can be taken up to address the persisting problem. It is lucrative also while it can address the bee sting problem. If properly managed, bees can be a potential wealth generator besides being pollinators.

No honey bees, no life on earth! And… honey can create wealth too!

‘Great Indian Bustard’ or ‘Green Energy’

Dr V Selvarajan 1 Comment

Published in Dwarka Express on 14.4.24

Who cares Great Indian Bustards (GIB)? It is almost extinct and just about 150 birds are left out. Maybe the research community is cared, for submitting papers on the status or a few nature lovers may cry that the bird should exist for posterity. How many of us are thinking of the extinct birds namely white-rumped vulture or lesser adjutant stork or Nicobar pigeon. Forget these unfamiliar names. What about our House Sparrows? Many of us do not even remember how a sparrow looks like. Kids search google to do a school project on sparrow. When that is the case for sparrows, who knows how a GIB looks like? Interestingly, GIB is the state bird of Rajasthan and deserves special status for conservation.

But the story is different in Supreme Court. The court is forced to strike a balance between green energy and bird conservation. And that too, when India is committed to ZERO EMISSION by 2070. Last week, Supreme Court was on the reverse gear to revisit its 2019 decision 2019 decision restricted overhead transmission of solar and other renewable energy in GIB area of 90000 Sq km. This will impede the ambitious renewable energy capacity of 450 gigawatts by 2030. SC in 2019 suggested underground cables in this area but the task of laying underground cables is near impossible.

Now there is a catch 22 situation. Whether to save GIBs or produce green energy? Court now considers the green energy over GIBs. Logically it may sound correct. But as usual the victims are going to be the voiceless creatures.  SC has appointed a 7-member experts committee to determine the core area of GIB. The committee is expected to submit its findings by July 24. While Green energy is the need of the hour, we hope that certain justification will also be available to the Rajasthan’s state bird. (Picture source: Wikipedia online)

Sand & Soil, one steals, another dumps

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

World Soil Day was celebrated only on 5th Dec 2023. And the theme of the year is “Soil and water, a source of life” So what? International Days come and go. Celebrations keep going. We mark the day with runs and rides with banners wearing t-shirts. But soil or water…, are we serious to preserve them? To form one inch topsoil, it takes 100-1000 years. Sand mining is one that we hear quite often. No Indian River is liberated from illegal sand mining. Wherever revenue or police authorities intervene, the sand mafia goes underground for sometimes but re-emerge to continue their crazy business. In Tamil Nadu, the sand theft is quite common and is known by its notorious name manal_kollai, meaning sand theft.  Politicians and contractors join hands to continue their activity thus destroying riverbeds and seashores despite the hue and cry.  

While sand theft continues unabated on the one hand, Bengaluru has a inimitable experience of soil dumping. Bengaluru is growing fast and the population has already breached one core mark. Still the hunt for land is going on as many wants to settle down in Bangalore. Clandestine efforts are on by the land mafia to grab the lake beds. Vanishing lakes is a major concern and the locals here and there are vehemently trying to save the left-out lakes in their proximity.  

A recent revelation at Hennagara lake near to Electronics city is shocking. It is reported that the Hennagara lake falls under gram panchayat in South Bangalore. South Bangalore is a home for MNCs known for the software export. Construction activity is endless and search for sites to build multi stories and villas is continuing. The only space left out inside the city is lake which becomes easy victim for the craze. The Govt map like Dishank app is also misleading occasionally as the survey numbers are wrongly marked in the official map as private land. Every lake has a buffer zone of 30 meters, where construction activities are banned. But if the lakes are also wrongly marked where is the question of buffer zones? During the last one year, it is reported that about 10000 trucks have dumped soil in the 330-acre Hennagara lake. At this rate the lake will soon disappear. Hennagara is not the only one being dumped. Many attempts are made in the past by authorities even to dump waste and soil. Belandur and Varthur lakes are such notable victims.  Kempe Gowda, the founder of the Bengaluru city was a visionary as he created innumerable tanks called kere in Kannada which even after a few centuries are coming handy for the city to recharge the ground water besides keeping the city green and cool. But at this rate of vanishing lakes, the day is not far off that the garden city will face the heat spell and raising pollution. Environmentalists warn that the city will lose its waterbodies soon if timely corrective measures to protect the lakes and their feeder canals known as Rajakaluves.

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