Fire, thick smoke scares bats

They panic-stricken bats came out of their nests unable to tolerate the heat and smoke. They returned to their nests after sometime.

A tree in the DC’s bungalow has housed several hundreds of bats. The photographers clicked hundreds of bats flying in the sky.

Those who had come to participate in the protest organised by Malenaadu Parisara Samrakshana Samithi stood for a while and enjoyed the beauty. But the reality has been that the bats which cannot see anything in the morning suffered suffocation because of thick smoke and flew aimlessly in the sky.

According to environmentalists, it was strange that hundreds of bats have made the tree situated in the heart of the city as their abode. A few months ago, some persons made abortive efforts to drive the bats away by bursting crackers.

However, they refused to leave the place. Some officials thought of cutting the tree so that the bats will be displaced once for all. At that time, a forest officer shared this information with an ornithologist who threatened to launch agitation if anybody tries to cut the tree. Subsequently, the idea was shelved.

The greens have urged the district administration to ban bursting of crackers in the area. But there are no takers for this idea as the people burst crackers whenever the elections are held and also during the visit of ministers. Despite all these disturbances, these bats have not moved out from the place.

There is a demand to declare deputy commissioner’s bungalow and office as heritage structures of the city.

Many heritage monuments have disappeared from the map thanks to negligence of the people. A big bus stand has come up on the historic Chennapattana tank. In fact, the place where the old bus stand is situated was once a natural tank. Many tanks in the outskirts of the city are facing danger. The city has suffered more loss than profit when it comes to development issue.

The century-old Sandalwood godown has been shifted. A move to sell this piece of land to some private persons was shelved after the people protested.

Now that historic structure has gone away from the people. It was not surprising if the trees on the piece of land where the medical college is coming up are vanished in the coming days. In fact, the sapling planted by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in the premises of forest department, has dried long ago.

“We will soon launching a protest for the protection of the sandalwood depot”, says greens. Former minister, H D Revanna had promised to build a park on the sandalwood depot land, but it has remained a dream till date. It is high time the people of Hassan should wake up and take up the issue of environment in the interest of future generation, they added.