DEATH OF A MAHARAJ ELEPHANT

MADUKARAI MAHARAJ ELEPHANT, BBC TAMIL

Once again I had the situation last night to report the death of an elephant in the Western Ghats in Southern part of India. I was very upset about the death.

As a reporter, I was in the Mudumalai elephant training camp some three years ago to talk to mahouts, who train elephants or rather tame elephants.

During one of my interviews, a mahout told me that an elephant was part of his family and it could identify his daughter, wife and other relatives who frequent his house.

Coming back to the Maharaja elephant story, I interviewed environmentalist Osai Kalidoss. He made a valid point on how the encroachment by humans literally snatching the elephant corridors leads to increasing number of man-animal conflicts. I felt sad for the Maharaj elephant and prayed God to give Mudumalai elephant long life.

The following link has the audio clip of the interview.

https://audioboom.com/boos/4729762-

                       TWO POTS AND DELHI STORY  

These two pots on the road made me stand there for few minutes.  I took this picture at Ashoka Road in New Delhi in front of Andra Bhavan.  

I found many of these kinds of pots or medium sized cans on roads, street corners in Delhi. 

Pots filled with water found infront of Andhra Bhavan at Ashoka Road

I found toilet facilities – for your kind information-for both men and women-in many public places. 

And many of them did not  stink!

For the last one month, everything I see in Delhi is brining me the picture of Google street view map to my eyes to compare the scene in Chennai and other cities in Tamil Nadu.

Yes of course Delhi merits and scores points in many occasions. 

But water and toilet facilities top the list.

I remember there were days when I used to walk for more than a kilometer and found no public toilets on Chennai roads; finally I ask for coffee or juice in a hotel just to use the dirty washroom.

To my knowledge in the last one month, I found this city has a little concern for its denizens than Chennai! 

PS: I will be writing similar notes comparing Delhi and Chennai till I move to a different city!