Wild Cries

  Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by..- Robert Frost                            Prelude It was early summer during 1980. I was then in Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of Environmental Sciences at New Delhi, pursuing my doctoral degree. Two national level events in the field of conservation and pollution were rousing public attention through wider reporting in the media. One was the contentious issue of establishing a hydro-electric power project across Kunthipuzha River in the pristine Silent Valley forests of Kerala. The other was about the proposed Mathura refinery in the Taj trapezium that was feared to cast doom for Taj Mahal, one of the medieval India’s wonders. As a researcher on environment and pollution, I naturally took inquisitive interest on these items and began collecting clippings of reports, editorials, topical essays, letter to editor on the subjects from the newspapers. The Hindu carried a series of write ups from eminent wild lifers

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.  But I have promises to keep,  and miles to go before I sleep. – Robert Frost Posting this episode in the first week of December is purely coincidental, though December was the month of both the air crashes narrated here. Prologue The magical charm that the Nilgiris in the Tamil Nadu segment of the Western Ghats effuse among the national and international travelers is something to be seen and believed, felt and rejoiced. It is estimated that tourist arrival to the Nilgiris stood at 17 lakh during 2021, of which significant numbers are from other parts of the world. Popularly known as the Queen of Hills, the panoramic landscape of Blue Mountain inspires awe in everyone. One is struck with the mere sight of the varied features that the mountains sport. Be it the rolling grassy downs in the plateau, punctuated with verdant ever green sholas, peat bogs and swamps, the steep slopes summated with peaks, the valleys of astounding depths, the rivers meande