Sunday 26 November 2017

Black Winged Stilts foraging for Food at the Basai Wetland, Gurgaon

Black winged Stilts are a common species of waders seen wherever there are wetlands, ponds, lakes and marshes. They have long red coloured legs and stand tall in the water. I found these stilts particularly interesting because of the reflection that seemed to complement if not add to their beauty!






White Throated Kingfisher at the Basai Wetland - Different Takes



The Kingfisher continues to be an interesting bird to photograph. People like to suggest that spotting a Kingfisher Bird is likely to bring one good luck, old wives tale, no doubt! However, I have posted a few photographs of Kingfishers spotted at the Basai Wetland in Gurgaon, hope you like them!













White Winged Wood Duck and Northern Shoveller Spotted at Basai Wetland ?

On a visit to the Basai Wetland in Gurgaon today, two unique migratory ducks might have been spotted. The White Winged Wood Duck, Cairina Scutulati and a Northern Shoveller Duck, Anas Clypeata might seem to be part of a group of an assorted species of ducks including the spot-billed ducks. Photographs of the same, although taken from a great distance have been posted below.













Wednesday 22 November 2017

Birds Spotted at the Basai Wetlands, Gurgaon in November-2017


Black-Winged Stilt with a Bronze-Winged Jacana (female)



White Throated Kingfisher with fish




Purple Swamphen



A Heron perched on the branch of a tree


A flock of Sandpipers


A Single Sandpiper foraging for food


A flock of Ducks




A Purple Heron




















Sunday 19 November 2017

The Lake of Life and an open air Waste Treatment Plant



Slowly but surely, the Basai Wetlands are slipping out of our hands. The changes taking place are purely man-made and people in the say have turned a blind eye to the ecological disaster that is taking place before our very eyes! Each week you visit the spot, you will notice how the waterbody is being filled up with mud and debris in such a way as to raise the ground level thus cutting off part of the lake. This is at a point closest to a gas cylinder depot.



It is true that the spot is visited by numerous birdwatchers with sophisticated cameras and zoom lenses, but they don't even move further or they would be horrified to see how a sewage canal running close to  parts of wetland  has breached its banks at some places and the toxic waste is getting mixed into the water of the wasteland.  One cannot help wondering whether this gross neglect of civic responsibility is intentional or otherwise. No wonder the plot demarcation markers are there, in the form of subtlety sunk wooden poles and the lines tied to them. Wouldn't be surprised to shells of buildings springing up from these spots in a couple of years with swanky names like Westville, or Paradise Gardens, that on the grave of migratory birds and a freshwater body, albeit tainted by the sewage of the city of Gurgaon. One wouldn't be surprised if these plots would be flooded during the monsoons because nature reclaims its own with a vengeance!



Gurgaon is a living laboratory of ecological disasters taking place before our very eyes and we are mute spectators to the tragedy unfolding! The Gurgaon of the early eighties was much different from what it is now. There were more trees, there were more water bodies, and the Arravalis stood tall. There were bunds made in strategic places by the British administration in the 1800s. All of these have gone. The bunds have gone, the water bodies have gone, one wonders about the pond in Sukhrali village, and in place of what used to be a huge pond on the way to Sohna is a stadium. Builders had not yet started building swanky condominiums on the Arravalis close to Bass Village, and sweet water was to be found at 120 feet! No wonder, we had a hand pump at our house! I wish I had taken more photographs of the Gurgaon of the eighties although one of my photographs of a nomad family taken in front of what is the main entrance to the stadium was selected by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting at one of its photo exhibitions!



It gives one great thrill to be able to photograph some of the migratory birds visiting the Basai Wetlands both for archival purposes and for the assurance and inner conviction that writing about them will be a point of reference for our future generations. The speed with which the landscape of Gurgaon is changing is simply mind-boggling! The changing of the name of this city cannot, however, detract us from recalling the Gurgaon that was once home to forests lakes rivers and fruit tree plantations. One could see Nilgai roaming around in the streets and Peacocks and Peahens moving around. But of these there none left, at least not in the center of the city. My father used to tell me that the road to the railway station was once lined with trees, Jamun trees and that it was like walking through a tunnel. Of these there are none!



If you thought the above shots bring out the beauty of nature, then think about the last two shots I am sharing with you below and do share a thought in the comments section of the Blog.



The above two pictures are of toxic sewage that has contaminated parts of the fresh water that forms part of the Basai Wetlands. While walking in the area, I could help noticing the foul smell emanating from the area. No wonder, the Basai Wetlands is turning into a cesspit of apathy, greed, and indifference. It seems this once freshwater body has, after all, become an open-air waste treatment plant!




Sunday 12 November 2017

The Church of The Epiphany, Civil Lines Gurgaon Garden Fete 2017 a glimpse

I was pleasantly surprised to know from today's Church of The Epiphany Garden fete that the C.F Andrews a visiting presbyter of the Church of The Epiphany, Gurgaon, about whom I have written in the history of the church was none other than Charles Freers Andrews, a presbyter and a lecturer at the St. Stephens College, Delhi. This fact was pointed out by the Chief Guest of the Fete, Mr Jyoti Sagar, an eminent Senior Corporate Lawyer and alumni of the St. Stephens College. The Chief Guest on the occasion went on to inform the gathering that Charles Freer Andrews was none other than the person who had been given the title of Deen Bandhu by Gandhi! Mr Jyoti Sagar also told the gathering that Charles Freer Andrews had once advised Gandhi to return from South Africa to India. In a conversation with the Presbyter In Charge of the Church of The Epiphany, Gurgaon, Revd. Sunil Ghazan told me that a large number of Britishers in India were not in favour of the policies of the British Colonialists in India, and this was one of the factors that forced the Britishers to quit India!
It came as a surprise to know that the C.F. Andrews who figures in Indigo, a lesson taught to students of the C.B.S.E English Core syllabus was a visiting presbyter at the Church of The Epiphany, a church where I have been worshipping since the year 1985 when I came from Ethiopia to pursue further studies in Egnlish Literature. Great to know that the Church that I worship in is part of the history of the Indian National movement!


Thank you, Mr Jyoti Sagar for enlightening us about the history of the Church. Glad to know that Deen Bandhu once served this church in Gurgaon. On a lighter note, I would like to share a few pictures taken on the occasion. 



Mr Pramod Sagar was the Convenor of the Garden Fete. His hard work and efforts ensured that the fete was a grand success!


The stalwarts of the white elephant stall stuck to their station until the end of the day! They handled a huge crowd remarkably well!