Even before the mindless marking of trees in the (Delhi) University campus was reported, repeated efforts by the TreesForDelhi action group had ensured that all affected trees should be marked with different colours and that the colour code should be as follows:

• For trees that will be cut
• For trees that will be transplanted
• For trees that will be left unaffected

However, it seems the Government has been following the policy of “If you can’t cut them, confuse them”.

The above image was taken (on Sunday, April 29th) from near the Akashvani Bus Stand, right in front of where the PTI News display board has been installed to distract the vehicle drivers - with the Parliament House Annexure in the vicinity. Several trees have been marked here - in the same fashion.

Incredible India! India Shining! Or is it that in the glitter of a very small part of this country (with a very high albedo), our eyes have stopped seeing the ‘other’ part of our country? 

India of today is understood to have a very unique status. We, as a nation are developing among the developed and developed among the developing!

Not far from the IncredibleIndia”!”, there is an IncredibleIndia”?”…hungry, unemployed and unsure about its future.

As long as we do not address the issues of this IncredibleIndia”?” I really don’t think we can celebrate IncredibleIndia”!” - morally or otherwise.

Amidst all this, the real question that we must keep asking ourselves is:
‘Development - at what cost?’

   Writing - on the Walls of NIC - YBP

This is what Sahara Samay has to say regarding the cutting and unscientific marking of trees in the (Delhi) University campus.

New Delhi, April 26: About 1,000 trees in the Delhi University’s North Campus have been marked for felling.

The trees will be cut in order to expand the university’s sports complex, enabling it to host rugby matches there during the Commonwealth Games 2010.

These trees are being felled as the existing ground is not big enough for rugby — therefore the need to remove the trees from around the ground has arisen.

The ground has been earmarked by the Commonwealth Games 2010 Committee for rugby.

According to the Sports Director DU, Jitendra Singh Naruka, the trees had been marked for felling but he will compensate the loss by planting more trees.

However, the organisers of the Games will need the permission of the forest department before the axe falls on these trees.

The students have protested the way the trees have been marked, calling it as unscientific and callous and that even if they are not cut, they will not survive.

Previously on DelhiGreens:

• The DelhiGreens effect!
• Marked Trees - A day after HT broke the story
• 1 down, 1000 more to go

The same news was also reported on Sahara NCR news channel in which the Sports Director’s interview was aired and he had said, “Ped to katenge hi, (sports complex ke liye) katne bhi chayiey. Par humein baar baar ye nahi bolna chayiey ki ped katenge, sunne mein acha nahi lagta” [The trees will be cut (for the sports complex) for sure. But we should not repeatedly say that trees will be cut as it doesn't sound good.]

We respect the concern of the Sports Director. Atleast he accepts the fact that ‘cutting’ of trees is music to NO ONE’s ears.

Besides, the Commonwealth (Games) maybe important but our Common-Wealth is definitely MORE important ANYTIME.

Source: News from Sahara Samay 

The following is an email from Mr. Anand Arya

“As you are possibly aware that efforts are being made to Save Yamuna from Polluted Water and Encroachments on its banks and flood plains.  Hon’ble High Court of Delhi had passed an order to remove all encroachments from the Yamuna.  A lot of these encroachments have been removed and yet many other are being made afresh.

I had a meeting with the Additional Secretary in Ministry of Environment and Forest, GOI and presented a Concept on how additonal protection could be affored and encroachments made much difficult by declaring the strech of Yamuna passing through Delhi as a Protected Area and Framing River Zone Regulations.  My impression of the meeting was that the Addnl Secy  viewed this suggestion very favourably and I have a feeling this may just get done.

May I request you to please sign the petion on line by clicking it on the link below and following instructions there. Also, if you can forward to your contacts and request them to sign the petition.”

DelhiGreens’ note:                                                               

Please sign the petition here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/YamunaPA/

Yamuna is the lifeline of Delhi, but has been ignored and not cared for. Instead we just expect it to contain within itself ALL the waste, etc. that we dump in it. It is time that we pay the river due respect along with the arrears.

It is surprising that we will go to as far as the Yamnotri to pray to the Gods but will not do anything about Yamuna’s dying state in our own backyard.

Build a Tiger Online – Upload your photo to Stop Tiger Trade

  
Dead baby tiger tied to pole, Indonesia © WWF-Indonesia  

Thirty tiger conservation groups have come together to launch a worldwide campaign to collect supporters’ pictures online to create the world’s largest photo mosaic of a tiger. The mosaic will be built with thousands of photos from tiger lovers submitted around the globe.

Help end the Tiger Trade. Click here to add yourself.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - European astronomers have spotted what they say is the most Earth-like planet yet outside our solar system, with balmy temperatures that could support water and, potentially, life.

The rest of this article, can be found on CNN.com’s Science & Space (and fortunately not the Policy & Politics) Page. You can read it by clicking here.

However, I have just three questions:

1. Was the above mentioned ‘find’ (also) funded by the United States? 
2. Is there some top-secret research going on in the West (the North of the North-South divide) to discover other habitable Planets other than Planet Earth?
3. After doing what they have done to the Planet (Earth), is the US (and the likes) now planning to migrate to another Planet (and when)?

Tiger- the death chronicles
63min/English/2007

Premiere Screening in India International Centre Auditorium, Delhi at 6.30 PM on 3rd May 2007. The film is presented, written and directed by Krishnendu Bose.

Tiger, the symbol of India. One of the most charismatic animals to walk the face of the earth. Faces it’s most severe crisis today. Its prey, habitat and the animal itself are being decimated.

Tiger-the death chronicles, explores this crisis. Traveling through tiger hotspots like Sariska, Panna and Buxa, the film attempts to unravel the nuts and bolts of the crisis. It looks at states like Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Goa and how they maybe trading their tigers and their forests, for more economic revenue. The film maps the curious case of a mining project in the heart of a tiger habitat in Orissa. It
also highlights the positive work being done in reserves like Corbett and up in the BR Hills, of Karnataka.

Tiger- the death chronicles in 63 minutes, encapsulates 30 years of conservation attitude in this country. For the first time ever, a film joins diverse voices, from tiger scientists and conservationists to ordinary citizens, to attempt a brutal and an honest assessment of the present and the future of the Indian tiger and it’s habitat.

All are invited. For more details log on to www.earthcarefilms.com/cur-proj/tiger.htm

For more on the Film Screeing, you can contact Krishnendu Bose of Earthcare Productions at +91-9811843111.
Email: earthcare1@vsnl.com
Website www.earthcarefilms.com

Previously on DelhiGreens:

• Tribal Rights, Forests and the Tiger

Tree on death bed.

One of the trees in the (Delhi) University campus was so brutally marked that it has failed to bear leaves or flowers this season, even when the fall season has long been over. It may never do. It has now become a passive ecosystem provider just like the tree mentioned in the previous post.

Even though all the other trees in its vicinity are contributing to the greens, this tree has been incapacitated to do the same (This is how).

The tree was in its full glory this time last year.

The Bottomline is: No Project of any kind has even been started, still one tree (out of about 1000 marked) has already been left to die a slow death and only provide us with its passive services.

Unscientific and callous marking has taken its toll. We hope no other tree is ever given such a deadly return gift.

This is in reply to two ’sports’ related individuals around the Sports Complex who had spotted us taking photographs around the Woodlands in front of the Sports Complex (for our dissertation and not what they had in mind). They told us that most of the trees around the Sports Complex, that have been marked are dead anyways, with just a thick stem and no significant leaves, etc. - a fact which is FAR from the ground reality.

However, we did listen to all that they had to say and went looking for such trees. We spotted one just in between the entrance of the Anthropology Department and the Central Science Library (CSL). This one -

With just a single thick stem (apparently its been cut from above), this tree best fits the exact description of ‘all’ the trees in the campus as was given by one of the above-mentioned two individuals.

And, so we had a closer look. This is what we found.

                   Peeking Parrot!

A parrot family has occupied the small opening in the tree’s trunk. A little above this, a mynah’s young one can be found trying to move out of another opening that opens to the sky and getting itself acquainted with the neighbourhood.

The fact of the matter is that even those trees that seem “dead” to people (like the ones mentioned), are not only living but are also providing refuge to several species of birds and insects. Besides, the fall season has just gotten over and probably the above-mentioned individuals mistook autumn as a mass suicide that the trees chose for themselves!

What we plan to do about this:

As is evident, there is a LOT of misconception among people about the trees, their role in a healthy ecosystem, the indispensable ecological services they provide, etc.

We, the students of the School of Environmental Studies have therefore pledged to initiate a ‘Tree Awareness Campaign’ and we will start working on the same, the moment we are done with our Semester exams. Starting with the Delhi University itself, we will do all that is in our capacity (and even more) to inform each and every citizen of Delhi about the importance of some ‘heritage’ trees in making Delhi, what it is!

A day after Hindustan Times broke the story of trees being cut and unscientifically marked in the (Delhi) University Campus - people (in and around the University) seemed well informed!

Even as the semester exams are on in the School (of Environmental Studies), the students took out time to sign a petition to the Vice-Chancellor and face a large number of people inquiring about the issue.

Previously on DelhiGreens:

• The Delhi Greens effect!

If you feel for the issue, please send you feedback to HT and voice your opinion.

News clippings coutresy: Hindustantimes.com Epaper