Wetland needs good approach road

Broken roads have meant that ornithologists and wildlife enthusiasts have started giving Keshopur wetland a miss because of the difficulty in approaching it. For a major part of history, man had to fight nature in order to survive. These days, man has realised that in order to survive, he must protect nature. Indubitably, Keshopur wetland, in local parlance known as ‘chambh’, is a beautiful work of nature. It is also the city’s pride. The problem with this work of nature is that encroachments are galore on the roads leading to it. A time will soon come when whatever roads are left will be in danger of getting obliterated for good. The area is an ornithologist’s delight. It is also home to the unique Sarus cranes. So much so that these days, a pair of this variety of cranes has made the wetland its permanent home. This despite the fact that these birds are known to hop from one wetland to another. The wetland is on a ventilator with not many eco-tourists arriving following the dilapidated condition of the thoroughfares. The Behrampur road is an example. It originates from Gurdaspur and meanders towards the international border but not before it touches the wetland. Illegal constructions are common on this stretch. People have unabashedly gone to the extent of constructing unauthorised shops and houses without the fear of the authorities. “The records show that this road is 66-feet wide. However, as things now stand, it has narrowed down to barely 20 feet,” said a youth Manjinder Singh Dala whose ancestral house is located on the edge of the wetland. He says his grandparents recount numerous stories of how Maharaja Ranjit Singh used the wetland as a hunting area. The British too loved the area for its diversity and solitude. There are absolutely no signboards following which it is normal to see ornithologists lose their way. Dala says something must be done to save the area or it will soon wither away and become a part of history. The worst part is that wildlife officials corroborate Dala’s views.

Cheers, claps and smiles for centurion

It is not the years in your life but the life in your years that matter. Local resident Harbans Lal Sharma has scored a century and if the weather and environs hold good, he intends to walk the planet earth for a couple of years more. Sharma’s sons and daughters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the elite of the city celebrated his 100th birthday at a local hotel. A stickler for a simple diet and meditation, he loves his walks which are invariably long and fruitful. He was warmly welcomed into the centenarian club of which very few have membership. Like a good old bottle of wine or whiskey, he has gone past being ‘old’ and has instead become ‘vintage’ stuff. His kin say the three most important lessons he has given to them are to laugh at yourself, laugh with friends and family and more importantly laugh at life which is better than crying. Sharma has remained the president of the prestigious Pandit Mohan Lal SD College for Women. He is also a two-time chief of the Gurdaspur Brahmin Sabha and was instrumental in getting a building constructed for the Sabha on the Batala road. Dr Mithun Hastir, one of his grandsons said, “A life well lived is enough reason to celebrate. God did a happy dance when he was born.” Moral of the story: Live your life and do not look at the calendar. “The secret of good old age is simply an honourable pact with solitude,” says Sharma. Contributed by Ravi Dhaliwal