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The Hindu
25-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
The nesting Black winged stilts of Perumbakkam: a sequel
Last week's showers might not have been forceful enough to break lake bunds, but the fragile nests of Black winged stilts in wetlands are an altogether different matter. At the onset of summer, Perumbakkam wetland begins to serve as a home as well as a 'maternity ward' for Black winged stilts. These birds build nests on stones, padding them with plant material to make the incubation process easier for themselves (both the male and female Black winged stilt share nesting, incubation and parenting duties). Some Black winged stilts build their nest from the ground up (avoiding the use of stones as base) by heaping up plant material and creating a mound of a nest. A recent issue of The Hindu Downtown discussed the resilience of the Black winged stilts, as evidenced by their efforts to build a nest again and again even where a succession of showers had damaged their nests beyond redemption or submerged them. At Perumbakkam, sometimes, the stones sink on account of rains. This problem does not crop up under regular circumstances, only on account of unexpected and unseasonal summer showers (as the breeding season for this species in these parts is from April to August). This year, ever since the Black winged stilts started the nesting routine, there were two spells of rain, causing them setbacks. The latest happened last week, but the 'householders' — particularly two pairs, with two different styles of nests, as one can see from the images — emerged unscathed from the crisis.
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Prakasam Street: how it shrugged off squalor
You cannot miss that spot in Prakasam Street in T Nagar. It has a massive CMWSSB water tank filling up the sky in the background. Around a year ago, there was another reason this spot could not be missed. Garbage dumping more outside the bins than inside them. Located diametrically opposite Prakasam First Street, this patch on Prakasam Street would attract those who wanted to offload construction debris clandestinely. The spot now presents a picture that contrasts sharply with what prevailed. A garden with fencing marks the space along the compound wall of the CMWSSB water filling facility. There is literally no room for garbage dumping. Sporting paintings, the compound wall also offers something to take in. The five bins have also been shifted out of that patch. In addition, outside the compound wall (which lines a good part of Prakasam Street), vehicles, many of them heavy vehicles would be parked. The fenced garden has put an end to that. The images were taken on May 9, 2025. Earlier, through pictures of the spot taken on December 29, 2023, The Hindu Downtown had highlighted the squalor that marked the patch. Back then, the patch was seen through the framework of the Broken Window Theory: how .a seeming lack of iniative to check garbage dumping outside the five bins placed there then was encouraging the behavior. In 'Then and Now' we feature roads that have fallen from grace as well as those that have improved considerably
