What I Learned

Manish Sawankar and I recently (around May 20, 2009) visited a magnificent ancient Bawadi (a well with staircase and community space) situated at Vela (Harishchandra) about 12 KMs from the zero mile, on Wardha road, Nagpur. The Bawadi still has good clean water that is being used by the Church nearby. The structure is ill maintained like most other ancient structures in India and needs immediate attention from the Archaeological survey of India. It may be a good option to involve some corporate sponsorship to augment resources for the maintenance of the historically and culturally important water-body in these times of water scarcity in India. Photos are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/29473404@N08/3603117284/

In last June this year I was discussing with a senior friend about protests by environmentalists for the expansion of the NH7 between Seoni and Nagpur. Below are a few details on the matter. Tigers are definitely in a BIG BIG danger in India (only 1411 remaining at last count, last year!) and I am afraid whether the future generations will have an opportunity to see one, a few years down. I am personally for doing whatever it takes to make sure tigers are protected and their count increased, though I am also for development of much-needed world class infrastructure in India. Development v/s conservation is a perpetual debate and I am of the view that humans have unfairly exploited the planet earthforour desires while it is a shared resource of all theflora and founathat live and contribute to the life on the planet. With global warming being the most important issue facing the very survival of all of us, one wonders what should take precedence if we have to choose between developmen