A vast majority of wetlands in the country is slowly becoming dump yards, according to a team of youth who travelled 12,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir on motorcycles.
They took 44 days and covered 17 States. Photographs, and videos of some of the abused wetlands they visited were taken besides interacting with local residents.
The team lead by D. Tony, Professor of Visual Communication Department of Hindusthan College of Arts and Science College in Coimbatore, is planning to hold an exhibition of the photographs, and videos at the college next month.
A report will be submitted to Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, which organised the expedition.
Suraj, Siddarth, Syed, Vignesh, and Sridar were the student members of the team. The ‘Riders of Metal Birds’ began the expedition from Coimbatore on September 21 on three motor cycles.
They went to Kanyakumari and from there travelled through 17 States covering Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, Wagah Border in Amritsar, Leh in Ladakh, the India – Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh, Kolkata, Odisha, and Tirupathi.
The team has captured over 3,000 pictures of 130 wetlands, birds, and their habitations.
Prof. Tony said that the team traversed through one of the most dangerous roads in the world in Kashmir. Adapting to climate change was very challenging.
Compared to the heat conditions that prevailed in South India, the intensity of heat prevailed in Gujarat and Rajasthan was unbearable. In Kashmir they were drenched in rain, he added.
The team visited the Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology where they learned about the measures in place to curb water shortage.
“Riders across the country helped us plan our day as the road condition varied in each locations,” Prof. Tony said. It was a great chance to interact with local people, know their culture, and capture their emotions, he added.
