It was Rajani Vakkalanka’s morning routine to walk with water feeders, broken rice, bread crumbs and left over rice to a dumping ground in the nearby neighbourhood. As sparrows began coming there regularly feeding off her offerings, a nest box was also fixed. “It was a private land and after seven months of effort, the people cleared it up. It was devastating,” recalls Rajani, director of CALBAC (Citizens’ Action for Local Biodiversity Awareness and Conservation). Now, the spirited lady is looking forward to the ‘World Sparrow Day’ on Friday (March 20) when she is organising a sparrow conservation programme for children, youngsters and adults, in association with Saptaparni. “The event aims to sensitise children and adults to the significance of protecting house sparrows and other bird species that are commonly sighted in our city,” she states. Rajani, who is doing a Ph.D in environment education and practises in schools, has been spearheading the movement of sensitising children towards the environment and birds.
Elsewhere, at Lamakaan, a group of youngsters are walking around in search of a space to put up their poster inviting youngsters to be ‘sparrow warriors’. Nihaar, Swetcha and Krishna of Animal Rehabilitation and Protection Front (ARPF) talk about the sparrow march they are holding on March 22. “Since March 20 is a weekday, we decided to have the march on Sunday so that more people could join us,” says Nihaar, founder of ARPF and an ex-employee of Amazon. “March 22 is World Water Day too and we will show how nature, water and animals are interlinked and how we are dependent on them,” he points out. Nihaar affirms that he owes his interest in animals to his regular visits to zoo as a teenager. “I would be taken twice every week to the zoo and grew up with the animals. I would see people pelting stones at the animals and did not know how to make them aware, as we were new to the city and didn’t know the language,” he states. Later while studying engineering, he visited the zoo again and formed a wildlife club with young volunteers; that’s how ARPF came into existence.
Krishna while managing his job at Amazon pursues his passion for animals. Swetcha talks about college youngsters and their enthusiasm in the role of volunteers. “As part of the Hyderabad Zoo Corps, a team goes to the zoo every Sunday and tackles issues like vandalism and act as guides,” the duo says.
Even individuals are pitching in. Keerthi Mehta, a trader gives away nest boxes for free at his electric shop at Ranigunj. Two years ago, had he kept a nest box in his house as an experiment and it worked. Since then, he has been giving away nest boxes for bird lovers. “We ask people to give away old wooden panels to create these nest boxes,” he says. To protect sparrows and other native birds, Rajani also roots for people to plant more native trees. “They might not be glamorous but they have a purpose,” she says and wonders at the need for celebrations. “We celebrate an earth day, environment day, water day… the list of days is increasing. There should be a world human day celebrated by all species because the human being has become so destructive and is not giving back anything to nature,” she says in an angry tone.
For now, spare a thought for house sparrows and deflect the trend of its dwindling population.
Let’s march
CALBAC (Citizens’ Action for Local Biodiversity Awareness and Conservation) in association with Saptaparni is organising a Sparrow Conservation Awareness programme. A short walk by participants from Jalagam Vengal Rao Park to Saptaparni is being held on March 20. An exhibition of posters on ‘Birds in our neighbourhood’ and elocution competition for children is also being held.
∙ARPF is organising a march from P.V. Ghat to Sanjeeviah Park on March 22 from 7.30 a.m. onwards. They also have a bike rally, bird watching at Sanjeeviah Park, drawing/painting competition for school children.
