Environment warriors
Anil and Pamela Malhotra give a helping hand to The Save Animals Initiative (SAI) Sanctuary Trust, and other positive stories
Into the Wild
Along the Western Ghats, on the foothills of the Brahmagiri range in Karnataka's Kodagu district, is a private wildlife sanctuary. It is also home to trees as old as 700 years. In the beginning, the Save Animals Initiative (SAI) Sanctuary Trust, spread across 300 acres, was a mere 55 acres of abandoned agricultural land. Anil Malhotra and his wife Pamela have spent 26 years bringing it back to life.Their journey started in 1986 when they returned to India from Hawaii and saw mass deforestation, scarcity of water and high levels of air and water pollution. They were determined to do something about it and a forest sanctuary seemed like the perfect idea.SAI was born in 1991. The couple work with the forestry department to keep poachers away, and run the sanctuary on solar and alternative energy. The absence of human intrusion has seen a rise in wildlife population--from Asian elephants, sambar, wild otters, to the Malabar giant squirrel and leopards. With the help of a panel of trustees, they have revived freshwater ponds, increased the natural food supply for the wildlife (so that the animals do not venture into human territory), and established organic gardens including cultivating and replanting species of rare, native trees and plants. Says Pamela in Rooted Truth, a documentary: "By piecing this back together we save our water sources, ensure animals can keep the forest healthy and the forest can give [a] home to the animals. We can protect ourselves from climate change and we set the groundwork for a healthier and more vibrant, richer ... India." There is still hope to recover our planet.
(Image courtesy: SAI Sanctuary Trust)
Clean-up drive
The 'Maily Se Nirmal Yamuna' Revitalization Plan 2017, established by the National Green Tribunal, will begin its second phase to tackle the Shahdara and Barapullah drains in Delhi. The 21 drains around the city discharge 850 million gallons per day ...
Into the Wild
Along the Western Ghats, on the foothills of the Brahmagiri range in Karnataka's Kodagu district, is a private wildlife sanctuary. It is also home to trees as old as 700 years. In the beginning, the Save Animals Initiative (SAI) Sanctuary Trust, spread across 300 acres, was a mere 55 acres of abandoned agricultural land. Anil Malhotra and his wife Pamela have spent 26 years bringing it back to life.Their journey started in 1986 when they returned to India from Hawaii and saw mass deforestation, scarcity of water and high levels of air and water pollution. They were determined to do something about it and a forest sanctuary seemed like the perfect idea.SAI was born in 1991. The couple work with the forestry department to keep poachers away, and run the sanctuary on solar and alternative energy. The absence of human intrusion has seen a rise in wildlife population--from Asian elephants, sambar, wild otters, to the Malabar giant squirrel and leopards. With the help of a panel of trustees, they have revived freshwater ponds, increased the natural food supply for the wildlife (so that the animals do not venture into human territory), and established organic gardens including cultivating and replanting species of rare, native trees and plants. Says Pamela in Rooted Truth, a documentary: "By piecing this back together we save our water sources, ensure animals can keep the forest healthy and the forest can give [a] home to the animals. We can protect ourselves from climate change and we set the groundwork for a healthier and more vibrant, richer ... India." There is still hope to recover our planet.
(Image courtesy: SAI Sanctuary Trust)
Clean-up drive
The 'Maily Se Nirmal Yamuna' Revitalization Plan 2017, established by the National Green Tribunal, will begin its second phase to tackle the Shahdara and Barapullah drains in Delhi. The 21 drains around the city discharge 850 million gallons per day of sewage daily into the Yamuna, home to turtles, crocodiles and many aquatic plants. The ongoing first phase had 28 directives, including fines and cleaning the Najafgarh drain (which accounts for 67 per cent of pollution in the river).
Safety first
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched SHe-box, an online portal for government employees to report cases of sexual harassment. Just log on to the e-platform (www.wcd-sh.nic.in) to file the complaint. The system will expand gradually to include women working in private organizations, ensuring the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
Sources: Heroes: ndtv.com, 3 June 2017. Environment: hindustantimes.com, 25 July 2017. Gender: The Hindu, 24 July 2017.