Raju Korti
As I reclined against my settee and looked aimlessly out of the window, I caught the sight of a sparrow perched on the cable wire across the balcony. As a bird lover from way past and someone used to the presence of these winged angels around me -- thanks to the National Park in the vicinity -- I kept watching it for a few amusing seconds. On an impulse, I rose and went close to the sparrow which was chirping away furiously without break. It did not fly away. Rather it chose to stay put and continued its prattle. I am no ornithologist but it sounded as if it was trying to tell me "come on, take a long look at me. May be you will never see me again after a few years." I made a few pampering noises and it looked at me despairingly. And then it fled.
Two years ago on this day -- the World Sparrow Day -- I had written how this cute little angel would one day figure in only fairy tale stories. Their numbers have dwindled even more, hurtling the species into the "endangered" species. Viewed against this backdrop, it is absurd how the civic body has brought Penguins to this hot, humid city when they should be better off in the icy glaciers.
This is what I wrote exactly two years on this day:
Way back in 1975 I was occasioned to meet one of the most affable and genial personalities that I can ever vouch for. In a long-winding chat over issues relating to environment and ecology, Sunder Lal Bahuguna, the architect of the path-breaking Chipko campaign (Hug the Trees) told me "there is one simple yardstick to know the status of ecology around you. If you don't hear the chirping of a sparrow and the croak of a frog, it means the ecology is headed for an unmitigated disaster."
The tiny little friendly bird once an integral part of a peaceful cohabitation between Man and Nature has become so sparse now that people exclaim with surprise "Oh! that's a sparrow! when they actually see one. This rather taken-for-granted bird, because of its believed familiarity, is hardly seen flitting in and out of the balconies of houses any more. And unless conservation measures are rigorously pursued the common sparrow will soon become fabled. Out of sight and out of mind! The saddest part of this story is not only from cities, these little but powerful symbols of bio-diversity are exiting even from the rural scene. The Nature Forever Society which is spearheading an aggressive campaign for the cause of the sparrow feels, although it may sound far-fetched to some people, that "Sparrow and conservation should be an election agenda." Sensibility and wisdom should second that. While events like Sparrow picnics, Sparrow Contests and Sparrow Walks do promote the cause, what is actually needed is solid action on ground.Mumbai has been particularly uncharitable to the common sparrow. The haphazardly growing metropolis' urban landscape punctuated by unbridled urbanization, greedy concretization, mobile towers, changing lifestyles, excessive use of chemicals and pesticides, lack of food and little empathy towards nature have contributed generously to the decline of this petite bird. Mercifully, the sparrow can still be spotted in the western suburbs beyond Goregaon towards Virar, thanks mostly to some forestation that obtains in the stretch. But the picture on the other side up to South Bombay is dismal to the extent that even children know about it only through books.
The BNHS findings are telling. The sparrow population has shrunk to almost half in the last decade. Since 2005, there has been an almost 60% decline in the big sparrow clusters. Areas with no sparrows have also gone up by 50%. The survey compared sparrow spotting by people before and after 2005.
The Bombay Natural History Society survey found that sparrows are seen in fewer places now than they were before 2005. Where they are still found, the numbers are lower than earlier and fewer nests are seen as well. This suggests that the number of sparrows has indeed declined and the low number of nests might mean that they are continuing to decline.
Mr Shekhar Bopardikar, a friend and an ardent conservationist points out as do other environmentalists: "The most obvious reason is destruction of sparrow habitat. Their nesting places have disappeared with rampant urbanization. But all is not lost. Things can be turned around by creating conditions conducive for the sparrows to thrive and multiply."
The Nature Forever Society has a more clarion call. "We don't want our future generations to see sparrows in photos and books. Sparrows are among our last hope to stay connected with what remains of nature in our cities. With sparrows will end human civilization itself."
Let's save this Nature's splendid icon. In it lies our future hopes and well being. I recall a lovely,
rib- tickling song that often use to be played on the radio during my childhood:
Bhookh lagi to chidiya rani
Moong ki daal pakaayegi
Kawwa roti laayega
Laake tuze khilaayega..
Chun chun karti aayee chidya
Mor bhi aaya, kawwa bhi aaya chuha bhi aaya Bandar bhi aaya...
May the chidiya rani's tribe grow.
Hope it is not wishful thinking.
As I reclined against my settee and looked aimlessly out of the window, I caught the sight of a sparrow perched on the cable wire across the balcony. As a bird lover from way past and someone used to the presence of these winged angels around me -- thanks to the National Park in the vicinity -- I kept watching it for a few amusing seconds. On an impulse, I rose and went close to the sparrow which was chirping away furiously without break. It did not fly away. Rather it chose to stay put and continued its prattle. I am no ornithologist but it sounded as if it was trying to tell me "come on, take a long look at me. May be you will never see me again after a few years." I made a few pampering noises and it looked at me despairingly. And then it fled.
This is what I wrote exactly two years on this day:
Way back in 1975 I was occasioned to meet one of the most affable and genial personalities that I can ever vouch for. In a long-winding chat over issues relating to environment and ecology, Sunder Lal Bahuguna, the architect of the path-breaking Chipko campaign (Hug the Trees) told me "there is one simple yardstick to know the status of ecology around you. If you don't hear the chirping of a sparrow and the croak of a frog, it means the ecology is headed for an unmitigated disaster."
The tiny little friendly bird once an integral part of a peaceful cohabitation between Man and Nature has become so sparse now that people exclaim with surprise "Oh! that's a sparrow! when they actually see one. This rather taken-for-granted bird, because of its believed familiarity, is hardly seen flitting in and out of the balconies of houses any more. And unless conservation measures are rigorously pursued the common sparrow will soon become fabled. Out of sight and out of mind! The saddest part of this story is not only from cities, these little but powerful symbols of bio-diversity are exiting even from the rural scene. The Nature Forever Society which is spearheading an aggressive campaign for the cause of the sparrow feels, although it may sound far-fetched to some people, that "Sparrow and conservation should be an election agenda." Sensibility and wisdom should second that. While events like Sparrow picnics, Sparrow Contests and Sparrow Walks do promote the cause, what is actually needed is solid action on ground.Mumbai has been particularly uncharitable to the common sparrow. The haphazardly growing metropolis' urban landscape punctuated by unbridled urbanization, greedy concretization, mobile towers, changing lifestyles, excessive use of chemicals and pesticides, lack of food and little empathy towards nature have contributed generously to the decline of this petite bird. Mercifully, the sparrow can still be spotted in the western suburbs beyond Goregaon towards Virar, thanks mostly to some forestation that obtains in the stretch. But the picture on the other side up to South Bombay is dismal to the extent that even children know about it only through books.
The BNHS findings are telling. The sparrow population has shrunk to almost half in the last decade. Since 2005, there has been an almost 60% decline in the big sparrow clusters. Areas with no sparrows have also gone up by 50%. The survey compared sparrow spotting by people before and after 2005.
The Bombay Natural History Society survey found that sparrows are seen in fewer places now than they were before 2005. Where they are still found, the numbers are lower than earlier and fewer nests are seen as well. This suggests that the number of sparrows has indeed declined and the low number of nests might mean that they are continuing to decline.
Mr Shekhar Bopardikar, a friend and an ardent conservationist points out as do other environmentalists: "The most obvious reason is destruction of sparrow habitat. Their nesting places have disappeared with rampant urbanization. But all is not lost. Things can be turned around by creating conditions conducive for the sparrows to thrive and multiply."
The Nature Forever Society has a more clarion call. "We don't want our future generations to see sparrows in photos and books. Sparrows are among our last hope to stay connected with what remains of nature in our cities. With sparrows will end human civilization itself."
Let's save this Nature's splendid icon. In it lies our future hopes and well being. I recall a lovely,
rib- tickling song that often use to be played on the radio during my childhood:
Bhookh lagi to chidiya rani
Moong ki daal pakaayegi
Kawwa roti laayega
Laake tuze khilaayega..
Chun chun karti aayee chidya
Mor bhi aaya, kawwa bhi aaya chuha bhi aaya Bandar bhi aaya...
May the chidiya rani's tribe grow.
Hope it is not wishful thinking.
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