Chevella Banyans of Hyderabad

In a rare victory for trees, Hyderabad's environment activists have bought breathing time for the 100 years old banyans of Chevella which were on the brink of being axed for the widening of a highway. The National Green Tribunal has now sought an environment impact assessment from the National Highway Authority of India before touching the banyans. Cartoon from my column with The Hindu.

Urban Biodiversity Map of Hydebarad

(click for a larger view)

Hyderabad's rock formations, older than the Himalayas, may well be a hindrance to real estate developers, but for biodiversity and nature enthusiasts, these very rocks are what makes the city's biogeography unique! Here's a map of the real 'pearls' of the Pearl City, its biodiversity. 

The illustration, that pays tribute to Cheriyal painting,  was done in 2021 for ICLEI and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, and has recently been released and displayed. It is available as a free download on the ICLEI South Asia website. I hope that the map will be a reminder to both citizens and the government of all that Hyderabad has at stake from the pressures of unplanned development and urbanization.

(With heartfelt thanks to Ms. Frauke Quader, the chairwoman of the Society To Save Rocks, for sharing her knowledge of the city.)

Rocks of Hyderabad

On the rocks of Hyderabad from my column with The Hindu. My gratitude to Ms. Frauke Quader of the Society to Save Rocks, who was kind enough to take me on a rock walk to the Fakruddin Gutta Rock Formation in the city's outskirts and give me a lesson on Hyderabad's rock history and ecology. The Society to Save Rocks has been campaigning to save Hyderabad's remaining rock formations from unplanned development and frequently conducts rock walks for which you may register here. 

Hyderabad Floods

The Hyderabad floods come as a timely reminder to the Telangana Government that integrated conservation and not beautification, is what the rivers and lakes of the city need. 

Uranium Mining in Nallamala

Nallamala forest in the Eastern Ghats of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh is under threat from the Departent of Atomic Energy, after its plan to mine Uranium here has been approved by the MoEF. Activists as well as members of the Chenchu tribes are protesting against the move. Among the myriad fauna that inhabits these forests, is the endangered and endemic Yellow-throated Bulbul.

Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.