One of the evident side-effects of the Metro construction in Bangalore has been the incessant cutting of trees across all major areas of the city.

If you now take a look at Seshadri Road, Nanda Road and roads around Malleswaram, you will see how a once-lush-green canopy has given way to a bare concrete view. Is there really a need to take away a portion of Cubbon Park? Was there a necessity to chop trees in Lalbagh (which even today stands as one of Bangalore’s integral identity)? The planning and development of the Metro has taken quite a few people by surprise. There has not been enough information shared in the public domain by the concerned authorities. The benefits of the Metro were never really listed out in comparison to other cheaper modes of transport (bus services being one of them).

What has happened so far is that the Metro juggernaut has rolled on, sucking in millions of rupees on its way and destroying the very fabric of Bangalore that had made it a preferred destination for many in the recent past. Democracy, in its definition, somewhere does include the phrase public participation. And voting is just one part of this public participation. The other and more significant part is to ensure that our public servants are questioned on their policies and to have a say in everything that affects us.

Today there was yet another protest against the haphazard construction and destruction taking place in Bangalore in the garb of urban transport management. We gathered at the BMRCL office (on K H Road) and protested with placards and slogans. Leaflets in Kannada and English were distributed to passers by, highlighting the glaring lapses in the Metro execution.

The group Hasiru Usiru has filed various RTIs (Right to Information) and the information obtained is quite far away from what the initial plans of the Metro were. For instance, the Phase 1 initial cost was Rs. 5800 crores and the present Phase 1 cost estimate is Rs. 11500 crores! Add to that the fact that the Phase 1 project is only 25% done and you get a scale of things to come. While the initial plan stated that around 400 trees would be cut, the actual number of trees are more than 1200 – a number that is only going to increase.

While I do not possess the acumen to judge whether the Metro will be beneficial in the long run or not, what I do know is that a lot of this destruction could be saved or at least handled in a better manner. If you are interested in meeting the group and taking part in the protest, please attend the next meeting at Tagore Circle on 4th November at 5:00 pm.

You can find resources and information regarding the Metro at the Hasiru Usiru website.

Here are some interesting links (most of which I had tweeted on Twitter already):

1. First-year Grad Student Wins Nobel Prize in Economics – A brilliant parody!

2. I have No Problem – A wonderful poem, must read. Obtained via Prof. Abinandan.

3. Pathetic, Useless – Dilip D’Souza’s insightful (and witty) article on the logic of MNS hating ‘outsiders’.

4. The Infinite To-Do List – An Entrepreneur’s nightmare! Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.

Here’s welcoming my sister to the world of blogging. One of the better writers I have known personally, she has finally decided to give her writings a public appearance.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Writer’s Karma.

Enjoy.

Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a known combination. A combination that has enthralled millions of readers globally with its tag line ‘A Trilogy in Four Parts’. (In fact, there was a 5th book released too and that is for the trivia pursuers).

Hitchhiker’s was a fabulous book with its quirky characters. But for someone who does not really like science fiction and fantasy, the series failed to hold its appeal after the second book. I read the final book with a mutual sense of goodbye and repeated its title “So long, and thanks for all the fish” at its conclusion.

Adams’ Last Chance to See, co-authored with zoologist Mark Carwardine, is a wonderful book, equally or more funny than Hitchhiker’s and at the same time conveying the seriousness of the dangers that various animal species on our planet are facing.

Commissioned by the Observer Colour Magazine, Douglas and Mark set out around the world to those places where certain animals were on the endangered list (perhaps some of them are no longer around). This journey takes them to meet the Komodo Dragons in Indonesia, the Aye-Aye in Madagascar and the Yangtze River Dolphin in China to name a few. Douglas’ perceptive remarks on the conditions of these animals and their countries forms a major part of the book. While Mark provides a zoologist’s view on the proceedings, Douglas’ commentary borders on philosophy and a satirical take on how the human species is running amok damaging this planet with utter disregard to its fellow co-inhabitants.

The book opens with the line “This isn’t at all what I expected” and chances are pretty good that you would feel the same as you leaf through this book written by an author better known for his travels through the infinite cosmos rather than lurking around forests and rivers on Earth. In an ironical way, it makes sense that someone who wrote about the galaxy was asked to write about the goings on of a planet that is showing no signs of curbing its ruthless massacre of other animals.

Take the case of The Yangtze River Dolphin which relies on sound for all its navigation needs. Now, the river is filled with huge boats driven by diesel engines that are loud enough to blank out all spectrums of sound frequencies. Amidst this noise, the Yantze River Dolphin is unable to hear anything clearly and more often than not finds itself crashing into ship propellers and other man-made artifacts on the water surface. Douglas and Mark, accompanied by a camera technician, dip their microphone right into the river and record the noise. All they hear is a loud constant blast! Such is the area in which the dolphin struggles to survive. The book is replete with many such insightful observations about animals that are nearing their last phase on Earth.

Read the book for two reasons: a) To know the fate of many of our fellow species on this planet and b) to marvel at how a serious topic can be broached and addressed without being preachy.

Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy.