Heatwave in Bundelkhand: 'Inadequate attention' on impact on birds, animals

By Bharat Dogra, Reena Yadav*

While the heat wave and its many-sided adverse impacts have been widely discussed in recent times, one important aspect of heat waves has not received adequate attention and this relates to the impact on birds and animals.

Here an attempt is being made to examine the impact of the recent prolonged heat wave on all forms of life in the context of Bundelkhand region. Bundelkhand is one of the heat wave hot spots in India. It is spread over about 14 districts of Central India (7 in Uttar Pradesh and 7 in Madhya Pradesh).

Recently two worrying cases of large-scale bird deaths have been reported from Bundelkhand. In the first such case a large number of parrots and bats as well as some other birds were found dead in a park in Atarra town, in Banda district. In another case, in a park that is ironically called Oxygen Park, a large number of bats were found dead in Banda city.

Visibility of several birds has decreased significantly, raising concerns regarding them. Rampyari Yadav who lives in Atarra says, “Earlier I used to feed sparrows almost daily near my kitchen. But now for almost a month I have not seen any sparrow.”

On the basis of general observation many people say that birds appear to be very vulnerable and weak.

A special feature of Bundelkhand region is the large number of cattle who are left free to roam. With no one to provide for them, they keep moving from one place to another in search of water and pastures. As the heat intensifies, water sources dry up and there is less and less to eat in the grasslands. From some places it has been reported that the extremely dry grasses even became harmful and as a result several of these cattle perished.

Bundelkhand’s forests have been badly depleted in recent decades and as a result wild life has already suffered badly, but during heat wave conditions their problems increase further as they cannot find water when they need this the most, for drinking as well as for cooling themselves.

As far as farm and dairy animals are concerned, although rural households try their best to protect them, but in the case of poorer households with very limited housing place there is a limit regarding the extent to which they can protect dairy and farm animals from heat wave conditions and arrange adequate water and fodder for them.

Large number of parrots and bats as well as some other birds were found dead in a park in Atarra town, in Banda district

Hence the distress of farm and dairy animals kept by poorer households and very small farmers or landless persons is likely to increase.

These dairy and farm animals like to take dips in village ponds and in particular the more heavily built buffaloes are happy with prolonged bath or just sitting and wallowing in water ponds. While the desire for this increases, opportunities may diminish with increasing heat and shrinking ponds.

Similarly other water sources may shrink leading to serious threats for fish and other water life as well. Recently death of several thousand fish was reported in Mandakini river in Chitrakut district. According to news reports, faulty operation of gates leading to sudden decline of water in a stretch of the river was responsible for this.

This proved tragic, and should have been particularly avoided in heat wave conditions. Even otherwise, this river as well as several other rivers of this region have been shrinking due to faulty policies, including large-scale, indiscriminate sand mining.

Clearly there is need for much more awareness regarding taking care of various forms of life in heat wave conditions in times of global warming. In the case of roaming or chutta cattle, care should be taken to create some water storages, supported by some fodder storage as well wherever possible, in areas frequented by these cattle.

In forests water and rain conservation work should be taken up so that wild life is not deprived of its most important need of water. Traditional practices of providing cool water points for birds and for feeding them should be stepped up in heat wave conditions.

---

*Bharat Dogra is a journalist. Reena Yadav is a student

Comments

1857 War of Independence... when Hindu-Muslim separatism, hatred wasn't an issue

"The Sepoy Revolt at Meerut", Illustrated London News, 1857 By Shamsul Islam* Large sections of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs unitedly challenged the greatest imperialist power, Britain, during India’s First War of Independence which began on May 10, 1857; the day being Sunday. This extraordinary unity, naturally, unnerved the firangees and made them realize that if their rule was to continue in India, it could happen only when Hindus and Muslims, the largest two religious communities were divided on communal lines.

The curious case of multiple entries of a female voter of Maharashtra: What ECI's online voter records reveal

By Venkatesh Nayak* Cyberspace is agog with data, names and documents which question the reliability of the electoral rolls prepared by the electoral bureaucracy in Maharashtra prior to the General Elections conducted in 2024. One such example of deep dive probing has brought to the surface, the name of one female voter in the 132-Nalasopara (Gen) Vidhan Sabha Constituency in Maharashtra. Nalasopara is part of the Palghar (ST) Lok Sabha constituency. This media report claims that this individual's name figures multiple times in the voter list of the same constituency.

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

Spirit of leadership vs bondage: Of empowered chairman of 100-acre social forestry coop

By Gagan Sethi* This is about Khoda Sava, a young Dalit belonging to the Vankar sub-caste, who worked as a bonded labourer in a village near Vadgam in Banskantha district of North Gujarat. The year was 1982. Khoda had taken a loan of Rs 7,000 from the village sarpanch, a powerful landlord doing money-lending as his side business. Khoda, who had taken the loan for marriage, was landless. Normally, villagers would mortgage their land if they took loan from the sarpanch. But Khoda had no land. He had no option but to enter into a bondage agreement with the sarpanch in order to repay the loan. Working in bondage on the sarpanch’s field meant that he would be paid Rs 1,200 per annum, from which his loan amount with interest would be deducted. He was also obliged not to leave the sarpanch’s field and work as daily wager somewhere else. At the same time, Khoda was offered meal once a day, and his wife job as agricultural worker on a “priority basis”. That year, I was working as secretary...

Proposed Modi yatra from Jharkhand an 'insult' of Adivasi hero Birsa Munda: JMM

Counterview Desk The civil rights network, Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JMM), which claims to have 30 grassroots groups under its wings, has decided to launch Save Democracy campaign to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra to be launched on November 15 from the village of legendary 19th century tribal independence leader Birsa Munda from Ulihatu (Khunti district).

Ground reality: Israel would a remain Jewish state, attempt to overthrow it will be futile

By NS Venkataraman* Now that truce has been arrived at between Israel and Hamas for a period of four days and with release of a few hostages from both sides, there is hope that truce would be further extended and the intensity of war would become significantly less. This likely “truce period” gives an opportunity for the sworn supporters and bitter opponents of Hamas as well as Israel and the observers around the world to introspect on the happenings and whether this war could have been avoided. There is prolonged debate for the last several decades as to whom the present region that has been provided to Jews after the World War II belong. View of some people is that Jews have been occupants earlier and therefore, the region should belong to Jews only. However, Christians and those belonging to Islam have also lived in this regions for long period. While Christians make no claim, the dispute is between Jews and those who claim themselves to be Palestinians. In any case...

Two more "aadhaar-linked" Jharkhand deaths: 17 die of starvation since Sept 2017

Kaleshwar's sons Santosh and Mantosh Counterview Desk A fact-finding team of the Right to Feed Campaign, pointing towards the death of two more persons due to starvation in Jharkhand, has said that this has happened because of the absence of aadhaar, leading to “persistent lack of food at home and unavailability of any means of earning.” It has disputed the state government claims that these deaths are due to reasons other than starvation, adding, the authorities have “done nothing” to reduce the alarming state of food insecurity in the state.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

Morbi’s ceramic workers face silicosis epidemic, 92% denied legal health benefits: PTRC study

By Rajiv Shah A new study by the Gujarat-based health rights organisation, Peoples Training and Research Centre (PTRC), warns that most workers in Morbi district’s ceramic industry—which produces 90% of India’s ceramic output—are at high risk of contracting silicosis, a deadly occupational disease.

Search This Blog