Watchtowers for birders at Chennai’s Pallikaranai remain unused
The Hindu
Pallikaranai marshland, popular with birders, has 5 watchtowers built by Forest Dept. but remain unused due to their location in residential areas & lack of watchers. Birders prefer to find their own spots for birdwatching. Anti-poaching watchers visit the towers, but they are mostly used by environment orgs for bird walks. Towers could be convenient but may be used for anti-social activities if known to public.
Watchtowers built by the Forest Department in Pallikaranai marshland remain largely unused by members of the public.
Over the last decade, the Pallikaranai marshland has earned a favourable spot in every birder’s list of wetlands to sight winged visitors during the migratory season. To enhance the experience, the Forest Department had built five watchtowers: one near the Radial Road, two on the eastern side and two on the western part of the marshland.
However, the watchtowers are in a state of neglect. Birders who visit Pallikaranai marsh regularly say they have neither used the watchtowers nor seen anyone use them. As most of the towers are built within residential areas on the marsh’s periphery and are unmanned by watchers or anti-poaching watchers, nature enthusiasts prefer to find their own spots for birdwatching.
A birder from the neighbourhood says the watchtower on the western side, near Kamakoti Nagar, is accessible but is not maintained well. Miscreants are known to use another tower, he adds. While the Pallikaranai eco-park is the primary attraction of the area, seasoned birders venture into other parts of the marshland to sight local and migrant birds, where, if placed, the towers could be convenient.
However, a Forest Ranger said, anti-poaching watchers regularly visit the watchtowers. The towers are mostly used by environment organisations that conduct bird walks and not regular members of the public as they are located in interior areas, the official says. There are chances of the watchtowers being used for anti-social activities if they are well-known to the public, he says.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.
The High Court of Karnataka on Monday declined to interfere, at present, in the investigation against a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, who is among the accused persons facing charges of circulating obscene clips, related to “morphed” images and videos clips related to Prajwal Revanna, former Hassan MP, in public domain through pen drives and other modes.
The 16th edition of Bhoomi Habba was held on June 8, at the Visthar campus. The festival drew a vibrant crowd who came together to celebrate eco-consciousness through a variety of engaging activities, creative workshops, panel discussions, interactive exhibits and performances, all centered around this year’s theme: “Save Water, Save Lives.”