Shift Saarang to protect wildlife: Activist to NGT

The activist said that the main cause of deer deaths is due to ingestion of plastic, due to improper solid waste management mechanism, or attacks by dogs on the campus. “The garbage, which is dumped indiscriminately on campus, attracts these dogs. The dogs attack the deer, who succumb to the injuries. In addition to this, a larger number of deer deaths is due to plastic, which is ingested while the deer forage for food in small garbage dumps around the campus. Another cause for deer deaths is speeding vehicles,” added the activist. 

Antony has appealed to the NGT to ban non-recyclable plastics on campus, put up notices prohibiting the dumping of waste and ensure proper disposal guidelines are followed. He also sought a close monitoring of vehicles on campus. “The speed limit should be monitored closely. In places where the deer cross regularly, we want the institution to declare it a ‘silent zone’ and install speed breakers,” he noted.

The activist has also sought the shifting of the IIT-M’s biggest annual cultural fest — Saarang — to an alternative venue. “ Saarang is becoming bigger every year, which means that there is a huge number of people attending these events. There is a lot of noise and light during fests like these. Since the campus is home to a variety of wildlife, including blackbuck, spotted deer, jackals, mongooses, monkeys, squirrels, toddy cats, wild cats, various types of reptiles, a plethora of insects, including about 40 different species of butterflies and about 100 species of birds, the sudden human activity can disturb the wildlife. We want the fest to be shifted to an alternative venue,” he said. The case hearing has been posted to July 17.