Tag: New Delhi
-
Cities – Far Away from Nature?
Global populations continue to urbanise at an unprecedented rate, with cities expanding into huge concentrations of concrete, steel, and glass, raising sustainability concerns. I’ve attempted to explore this issue from the standpoint of urban ecology, an interdisciplinary branch of study that looks at the complex interactions between the built environment of cities and non-human species.
-
Rights to a ‘World-class’ City
Ajay Immanuel Gonji In a previous blog article, I had mentioned that in many Indian cities, there exists a certain shared precarity between poor humans and non-humans in access and rights to the city, and both groups are often similarly excluded (Narayanan & Bindumadhav, 2019). In this present article, I wish to elaborate on this…
-
Birding from my Balcony
Ajay Immanuel Gonji Growing up as a child, I loved animals and birds. One of my first experiences watching animals was when my dad would take me around our neighbourhood on the scooter showing me cows and buffaloes. At home, the pets I grew up with included fishes, ducks, chickens, rabbits, dogs, mynas, pigeons, parakeets…
-
Dodging the Dog
Ajay Immanuel Gonji Annoyed and slightly dejected was I as I dragged my feet back to the entrance of the Sanjay Van forest patch of the Delhi Ridge. Early morning that day my friend Amit and I visited the city forest hoping to spot the elusive golden jackal and capture the animal on our cameras.…
-
Fauna in the City – Part II
Ajay Immanuel Gonji About three weeks ago, a solitary male leopard was found loitering in the national capital’s Yamuna Biodiversity Park (YBP) – one of the two biodiversity parks (the other being the Aravalli Biodiversity Park) that has been established in the capital by the Delhi Development Authority. According to park officials, the animal is…
-
Huge Opportunity and Even Bigger Challenges: Wetland Restoration in the Urban
Ajay Immanuel Gonji It has been a little over a year and a half since Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) entered into a management agreement with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to restore a small relict of the Jahangirpuri group of wetlands. The Dheerpur Wetland Park (DWP) is an ambitious collaborative project between AUD and DDA…
-
Fauna in the City – Part I
Ajay Immanuel Gonji About a month ago, Delhi witnessed a bizarre incident where a Nilgai was found in one of the most unlikely places in the city – the lush green lawns of parliament house! The front page of newspapers featured an image of the frenzied animal being caught by trappers after it probably strayed…