Move to commercialize Lalbagh generates heat

Cultural events no music to birds’ ears
Deccan Herald

Blaring sounds disrupt bird communications and negatively impact courtship and breeding.

Opening the gates of Lalbagh botanical gardens to musical or educational programmes in the evenings is like a death knell to thousands of birds and insects who have made the huge canopy of trees and grasslands their homes.

According to ornithologists and bird watchers, out of the 300 species of birds listed in and around Bangalore, nearly 60 species who were spotted in Lal Bagh will be robbed off their habitats.

A K Chakravarthy, Ornithologist and Professor of Entomology, University of Agricultural Sciences said allowing programmes in the evening be it cultural or educational would have disastrous consequences, especially to nocturnal birds like owls, black-winged kites and night jars.
Advertisement

“There are birds who feed only during twilight hours and thousands of birds who come home to roost will be disturbed. Moreover, Lalbagh offers a wide array of habitats not only to birds but also to insects, bats and rodents. So the casualty list will include them all,” said Mr Chakravarthy.

A snowballing effect was another possibility listed by the ornithologist. An increase in rodent population with owls shifting their base from Lalbagh and blooming of flowers being adversely affected with bats playing an important role in pollination is an inevitable development.

Meanwhile, ornithologist Dr Abraham Verghese opined that a disruption in the normal cycle of birds due to the musical strains during cultural programmes would occur.

“Birds do considerable communication in the evening through sound calls for activities like breeding, feeding the young and even for socially congregating,” said Mr Verghese.

Referring to the flood-lights that will be invariably used during musical programmes, he added that apart from disorienting nocturnal birds like night herons and spotted owlet, the birds would be made vulnerable to predators.

Litter menace

Mr Harish Bhat from the Centre for Ecological Science, Indian Institute of Science, cringes at the thought of the quantum of litter that would be generated after the close of each event.

“The crow population would increase with the piling garbage and in turn decrease the small bird population, as crows feed on these birds,” said Mr Bhat.

Referring to the unhealthy precedent if Lal Bagh decided to grant permissions, Mr Pramod Subbarao, a bird-watcher, said the sanctity of Lal Bagh as botanical gardens should be maintained at all costs.

DEEP CONTENTION
Lalbagh is undoubtedly Bangalore’s star attraction and having the Glass House as the backdrop of programmes should be a matter of pride, said Horticulture Director G K Vasanth Kumar, when asked about the decision to allow Star TV channel to shoot a talk-show in Lal Bagh.

“Lalbagh is nothing less than a crystal palace in London and allowing programmes here will give us some good publicity,” said Mr Kumar.

Moreover, the proposal (that is yet to be drafted) would outline the specific guidelines to ensure that the flora and fauna is protected, added Mr Kumar.
Advertisement

However, former additional director Dr M K Siddappa, horticulture begs to differ.

“The lessons learnt when Lalbagh was thrown open to the public for meetings in the 70’s should not be easily forgotten.The spirit of Lalbagh will be shattered otherwise,” cautioned Mr Siddappa.