The fast vanishing green cover and the drastic reduction in the number of birds in the city have been giving sleepless nights to many of the green activists in the city. Vinodh Lal Heera Eshwar, creative director of Meridian, who along with the active support of his team members, designed and executed a tree-planting programme named ‘Greeniversary’ for Trees For Free, an NGO working towards reviving the lost greenery of Bangalore.
As a part of the campaign, nests abandoned by birds were sent to prominent nature lovers in the city, including the CEOs of top companies, to create awareness about the environmental scenario of Bangalore. Vinodh spoke to DNA on the issue.
Is it a fact that a lot of birds have indeed gone missing from Bangalore?
Yes. There was a time when the city had a large number of sparrows, but now you can hardly spot any of them. The same is true of the mainas. When we were young, we saw a lot of small, colourful birds which were called ‘love birds’ in layman’s terms. None of these birds are now found in the city.
How is it possible to bring back these birds?
We need to retrieve the lost green cover in the city to bring back the birds. I appreciate the work done by NGOs like ‘Trees For Free’ and people like Janet Yegneswaran who has been actively involved in planting trees in the city and egging others to do the same. People should be more aware of these issues and come forward in large numbers to contribute to show their support for the cause.
How could the Greeniversary campaign help this cause?
As part of this campaign, ‘Trees For Free’ has planted trees which attract birds. Trees like ficus benjamina were planted along with local tress like peepal and jamun trees which attract birds. Our attempt was to bring back the lost habitat of the birds, thus bringing them back.
Can bird sanatoriums be a probable solution to the present crisis?
We can not be so selfish. We have to co-exist with other creatures of nature and can’t possibly isolate birds to one corner. If we have encroached upon their habitat, it is our responsibility to restore it. Earlier, places like KR Puram and Old Madras Road used to have a large number of birds. But once the work on the bridge started, trees were chopped down and now the birds have been rendered homeless.
How was the response of the authorities and general public to the campaign?
Well, people did take interest and came forward to work for the cause. But much more needs to be done and it’s important to raise the general awareness levels of the public to have a significant impact on the environment.
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