Tiger Day, Tigers & Humans!

 

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“There is nothing like the thrill of walking through the jungle looking for a tiger and knowing they could be watching you already.” — Ashlan Gorse Cousteau

Ashlan Gorse Cousteau is an American entertainment journalist. She is known for her work with E! News, Discovery Channel, and Travel Channel. She along with her husband Philippe Cousteau have produced and appeared together in several educational and environmental television programs. Indeed, Ms Ashlan because of her work must have travelled a lot in the forests & her observation about tigers watching you is to the perfection as I myself also have experienced that feeling, that’s what a tiger’s presence can make the difference in any forest making that animal very very special in the chain of wildlife!  That's why when the subject of sharing is Global Tiger Day, I used her words to start, though this day often called as International Tiger Day, is an annual celebration to raise awareness for tiger conservation, held annually on 29 July. Indeed, the presence of the tiger is hardly in ten countries across the Globe just like the game of cricket yet it is the talk of the world (again just like the cricket) when it comes to wildlife, is a fact! This day was created in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia, where for the first time all the countries with the habitats of tigers meet up for its conservation. Since then, the day is celebrated or said being followed is the right term for tiger conservation.

Many people, even activists, will say when we have Earth Day, Environment Day, Forest Day, Wildlife Day & many such, then why we need Global Tiger Day & I won’t blame them as it's this unawareness about wildlife as whole which has arisen the need of celebrating the Tiger Day! It’s because a tiger though is just one of the links in the nature cycle but is an important link, just the way a Captain of a Cricket team is one of the eleven members yet it's special as he holds the team together, the same way a tiger’s presence keeps balance in the jungle! A tiger in any forest means the forest has to be complete with all sorts of flora & fauna which includes various trees, creepers, grass, bamboo & many such which are essential for every sort of animals & birds & then a tiger needs water bodies also, so the avion life also has to be there. And when there is a tiger in any forest then  on one side if the tiger itself has threat from human poachers but on the other side many humans keep distance from other elements of that forest such as illegal wood cutting or hunting of smaller animals in that forest, so in a way the tiger is protector of that forest also, this is why when a tiger is saved, we are actually saving a life cycle & Global Tiger Day is in a way tribute to the tiger for its role in the forests!

And when one young journalist Mansi called me for my quote on Tiger Day with the questioner below, I was more than happy to share my views about the same. And to my surprise she has extensively covered many aspects in her questions which in a way are thought churning for me, so I decided to use the same for my sharing, here we go…

Hi, please find below the questions for World Tiger Day.

1.   What is the present condition of the species in Maharashtra/India… I take it species means Tiger, so the best (or say good news) is India is the only country where Tiger population is actually increasing, while all around the world its reverse case. And we should congratulate our  Govt (Central & State) as well every person, organization which is part of the system we call forest conservation. At the same time, let's not forget that every year nearly some 150 plus tigers die also due to mainly human intervention & that’s something we need to control, is the scene about the species at present.

2. What has the government done to protect tigers?... Right from creating Project Tiger i.e. reserved protected forest dedicated to tiger conservation, which started way back in 1974, the govt has done many things for tigers. The National Tiger Conservation Authority was established in December 2005, following a recommendation of the Tiger Task Force, constituted by the Prime Minister of India for reorganised management of Project Tiger and the many Tiger Reserves in India. And then the State govt also has formed many sanctuaries as well reserved forest so the tigers can be protected from humans. Though the working of NTCA cant be considered as right every time yet it’s a dedicated effort for tiger conservation for sure.

3. In which areas are tigers thriving?... Considering our Maharashtra State, it's mainly in eastern part of the State which is called as Vidarbha. Tadoba, Pench, Melghat project tigers in these parts as well UKWS, Bor, Dnyanganaga, Tipeshwar are many sanctuaries where tigers have made their habitat & growing in population. The main reason is less urbanization in this part of the State which enables the tiger to have its place yet the prey base remains an issue making the tiger kill cattle or domestic animals thus creating man animal conflict. In other parts of the State, we have just one project Tiger i.e., Sahyadri, Project Tiger located in Kolhapur district.

4. Which forests take better care of tigers?... Obviously, the Project Tigers are best forests for taking care of the tigers as one must understand there is a difference between a zoo & a forest. In any forest the tiger lives on its own terms & it doesn’t understand boundaries created by humans but humans have to follow those boundaries, right? This is not easy to control especially with less infrastructure forest dept which has to deal with major challenges like fighting with other depts as well human population living around the tigers. And they also can’t be blamed as living with a tiger roaming around isn’t an easy job for any human being!

5. According to you, what's the future?...  Future of tiger you meant; at the present, it depends on what course humans decide for themselves is what will decide the future of the tiger. If this reply seems straight from Star Wars or Harry Potter philosophy, then I can’t help it because one, I love these both stories most & second, that is the truth! Because tigers or any other species can’t think on their own for their future & even if they can think they are too weak or no match for their prime enemy which indirectly or directly is humans! So, unless we humans start thinking about the future of the tigers, it's difficult to say if it will be good or bad. At present it seems difficult because it's not just about the population because like any species can reproduce given suitable conditions (like the humans), the problem is about the space for the new population (again same as humans) which is the outcome of the reproduction! On one side we are unable to provide proper shelter, food to humans itself because we are unable to control our population, how the new population of the tigers will get their space to grow? Our answers (read as actions) to this question will decide the future of the tigers!

6. Do you think days like these are helpful? … Well, days like this are definitely not going to harm for sure, right? About being helpful then we must use days like Tiger Day to reach out to more & more people who don’t know what tiger needs to live rather than just posting images of tigers taken by hi-tech cameras that too by only those who can afford to go to forests with tigers & click! First & foremost thing is making wildlife tourism (with tigers) affordable to all & open all areas as everybody has a right on the tiger i.e., to see that majestic beauty as then only everybody can join the moment to make the future of the tiger better!

7. What was the driving force that led you to lend a helping hand to protect tigers?... I am from a region where the tiger population is most i.e., from Vidarbha & by my academics of environment I get to know a bit about habitats & forests as well balancing of nature. And then I build homes for humans because I am a civil engg (and a builder too), so who will build or say create spaces for tigers along with its chain of life, is the question I ask myself, that’s the driving force for me to do my bit for the tiger! And then if not me, then who?

To conclude all I will say is, thanks Mansi, as your questioner gave me a chance to share my views on tigers elaborately & let me tell you, every one of us lives for survival but high time we must understand the meaning of living & as well survival. It’s the responsibility of the survival to see that others also survive especially those who are weaker as survival of the fittest doesn’t mean only the fit will survive but it means, the fittest will help entire life cycle to survive, this understanding is what differentiate the humans from all other animals & this is why only the humans can practice or follow Tiger Day & not vice versa, so be it!

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Sanjay Deshpande 

smd156812@gmail.com

Sanjeevani Dev.

Please view my sharing about real estate in Pune at You Tube link below..

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4xX7eopH5o&t=5s

 

Please do visit my blog links below to read about real estate & home buying! 

https://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2021/09/choosing-right-home.html

http://jivnachadrushtikon.blogspot.com/2021/09/blog-post_21.html

Creating Togetherness; team Sanjeevani Way (Click link below) 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/albums/72157627904681345

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

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Take your issues to Hon PM at link below..

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Kanha, Rains, Leopards, Tigers & Sal Trees!

                                       

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“The time I spent in the jungles held unalloyed happiness for me, and that happiness I would now gladly share. My happiness, I believe, resulted from the fact that all wildlife is happy in its natural surroundings. In nature there is no sorrow, and no repining. A bird from a flock, or an animal from a herd, is taken by hawk or carnivorous beast and those that are left rejoice that their time had not come today, and have no thought of tomorrow” …  Jim Corbett (Jungle Lore)

Once again, its forest diary time & once again (as usual) Jim’s words are at my rescue to open the gate of memories of the moments I have spent in the wilderness & when it’s my most favourite jungle i.e., Kanha to write about then what better than to have my most favorite person (not just a writer) who’s above words I live by, every time when I visit jungles! Jim Corbett is one of the most celebrated wild lifers across African & Indian Himalayan forests & is known for his work regarding tigers as well conservation. Though (unfortunately) Jim is more known as' hunter of maneaters’ which he never liked & his books about his experiences during those hunts are more popular it’s his other books about forests such as Jungle Lore, gives us best insights about the forests in totality!

And needless to say, later when I started visiting forests by myself all these books helped me a lot to decode the language with which forests speak with us! This, you might think too much watching Potter Movies or Star Wars series as an alien language type but just think about the time you spend in forest & the kind of creatures you meet there & you will realize it’s no less than some Star Wars or Wizarding world ride! And when that forest is of Kanha then fasten your seatbelts as the ride is not just going to be a lot bumpier (literally) but hell lot exciting also. First & best thing about Kanha is the landscape, the ever-green Sal trees expand is just infinite & in between those thick Sal trees ocean there are equal huge patches of grasslands i.e., meadows & the hills & the yellow clay clad roads on every turn of which you can expect anything can happen, this is Kanha!

I have been as regular visitor of Kanha as the Indian Pitta (a colourful migratory bird) in the Central Indian forests but last three years I have missed the bus & the moment my care left main road from Chirai Dongari (a village from where road for Kanha starts from main highway), I could feel the air filled with Sal tree’s fragrance & my heartbeats started running faster than the car! Well, again sorry for too much drama in writing which you may think a bit over but this happens with me, every-time when I visit Kanha, so be it! It was May end & as it happened to me for my last many Kanha trips the clouds also fooled me to this place. Earlier my mood used to be as gloomy as the weather whenever I used to see cloudy rain filled sky as that means gone are the chances of seeing a tiger in clear but no more as forests has taught me to be patient as well to enjoy the moods of it which changes faster than your wife’s or girlfriend’s moods, & all you should do is just ride with them! And so, the first safari started with rain-covered sky, fortunately Pratap, our regular veteran driver, was ready with hood & so was the rain. Every time when I visit forests there is a hidden wish list in my mind (greedy mind actually) that I should get to see this & that types & of-late I have learnt to bury that wish list deep within as or else you end up losing the charm of other things which are in front of you, yet the list is there. This time it was long. I have seen a leopard in Kanha & never in rains, so that hidden wish list was tickling me from within but I knew sighting a leopard in Kanha itself is a rarity & in rains the chances get near impossible. The major problem with Kanha rains is, they come with strong wind & thunderbolts which is really scary & making every animal around to run for shelter & in such times sightings becomes really difficult. Another problem is with plastic hood on, your own sighting gets restricted to whatever comes in front of the gypsy only as sides are covered & leopards are not the animals (at least in Kanha) that they will walk on road in rains! Yet when one gypsy coming from other side told us that there is a leopard on tree ahead at a spot we couldn’t believe as why then this gypsy has left that spot (dirty doubtful minds)! Well, the simple reason was their gypsy’s hood was not giving them proper shelter & trust me those who have not experienced getting caught in open forest in the Kanha rains, that’s not something “Kamjor Dilwale” can't stand! That was the sole reason the said gypsy must have left the spot where they had seen the leopard & with full excitement & hope that the leopard will be still there, we rushed ahead. And to my tick my wish-list, there was a leopard relaxing on a sla tree branch & indeed it was difficult to sight it through water dripping from hood & fog on my Spects & the green canopy but instead getting irritated with all these hurdles I was happy as that was making the sighting more exciting! We spend nearly an hour just watching the leopard on the tree which only because of rains must have halted there for so long time & while it was in comfortable position, we have to to all the efforts to keep ourselves dry & yet try to click the leopard by manoeuvring the gypsy as only one window through the canopy of the trees was open for clicking the right shots! This is Kanha, I reminded myself & it never sends you empty handed!  Later for the next three safaris I was just trying to fill in as much landscape in my mind as I can & rain was playing hide & seek with us all two days yet we could see the tiger also!

I am the jungle & Jungle is Me"...

On the 2^nd day morning also we just experienced heavy shower, these were first showers of summer & in the past I have witnessed strange behaviour of the tiger of coming out on roads & drink water from the puddle, maybe they like the clay mixed taste of the fresh rain water! So, I mentioned this to our guide & said "bhai, fikar na karo, raste ka pani pine koi to tiger aa hi jayega road par" (i.e., boss, don’t get upset due to rains, as to drink rain water on the road, some tiger will definitely come out, so did Jr Bajarang (local name of that male tiger)! " Sometimes it requires daring, not to use big lenses' ', is what pro wildlife photographer Kedar Bhat said recently, while addressing a gathering of photographers! And I agree with him 100% as indeed to take a close shot of a tiger is nice, feeling every hair on its body & those eyes piercing your lens yet a tiger is at its best in the forest, becoming part of it, this is how I saw Jr. Bajrang, through 70 mm & dared to keep 500mm aside (for a while)! Nothing beats the way a tiger walks on forest roads & when the road is Sal aligned forests then the entire landscape is no match for any big screen, even for 70 mm cinema-scope movies! The dusty road, the greens, the fresh rain drops, alarm calls of spotted deer in the background & every onlooker's breath on hold, there he walks, after drinking the water from road puddle, Jr Bajrang displayed this whole scene to us & vanished in the roadside thickets along with the alarm calls of spotted deer! The entire drama may have lasted for some 20 minutes but for us it’s like time has stopped for ever, this is what you take back from forests i.e., lifelong memorable moments!

Recently (may be from last 3 years) Kanha Forest dept has started night safaris & its something which the tourists must not miss even if you may cancel a morning safari, in case you are worried for sleep deprivation for next day morning safari for which you have to wake up at 4a.m! Because the night safari starts at 7pm i.e., post sun set & you can explore the forests around the core zone till 10 pm at night & trust me nothing beats being in the forests as there you realize what is pitch darkness! In our urban life we actually never experience darkness to its fullest because of the illumination from the glow of thousands of gadgets around even if we turn the lights off. The sky also is always greyish blue or white because of the reflection of lights on the ground but it's in the forests with no artificial light emitting objects in the surrounding you realize how the animals are far superior than humans in the darkness! Many will say why waste time as you hardly can see anything (read as tiger) in the buffer even in day time but the forest is more alive at nights with many species such as Martin, Porcupine, Hyena which are nocturnal and come out for hunting after sunset. Even the tiger prefers to hunt at night & agreed one can’t photograph at night safaris but not all forest moments are needed to be captured on the camera, some are to be lived by your own self & night safari is one such. And in our night safari we spotted a male tiger, so the myth that you don’t get to see much in night safari was also cleared. First thing is, buffers & core are boundaries defined for humans for their management system, for a tiger or any animal forest is forest & they are free to roam anywhere. So, to spot a tiger or any big animal in night safari needs equal luck which you need in main day safari in the core area of the forest. And second thing, what you get to experience in the night safari is, to feel the forest by other senses than eyes (seeing), you learn to smell the fragrance, hear the smallest of the sounds around & yes you can sharpen your vision to see in the darkness too!  

Well, we did meet many forest officials & locals, another must thing which the tourists should try as then only you realize what you can give back to the forests. Places like Kanha if on one side are blessed with nature then other side are deprived by the luxuries of life which modernization brings & here is where we can extend our hand on many fronts to make the life of the locals a bit better! Right from skill development training such as plumbing, electrician or tiling to solar maintenance, many things we can teach them (Credai Members do read). As well you can contribute by money to organizations which are involved in working with forest dept as that’s our duty towards forests is what I always urge! You can write to us for any info or assistance about how you can contribute for the Kanha as well other forests at our email id’s as well visit our web sites below my sharing.

Two days for Kanaha forests are actually very less but I had my scheduled program ahead so I left with heavy heart those Sal trees with a promise to return soonest!

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Sanjay Deshpande 

Sanjeevani Dev.

Please view my sharing about real estate in Pune at You Tube link below..

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4xX7eopH5o&t=5s

 

Please do visit my blog links below to read about real estate & home buying! 

https://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2021/09/choosing-right-home.html

http://jivnachadrushtikon.blogspot.com/2021/09/blog-post_21.html

Creating Togetherness; team Sanjeevani Way (Click link below) 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/albums/72157627904681345

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

www.punecorporation.org

Take your issues to Hon PM at link below..

https://secure.mygov.in/

Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com

Culture, Pune & Real Estate!

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“Culture does not make people. People make culture” ...  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

"My father used to say that stories are part of the most precious heritage of mankind.” ... Tahir Shah

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a Nigerian writer whose works include novels, short stories and nonfiction. And Tahir Shah is the author of more than fifty books, many of which chronicle a wide range of outlandish journeys through Africa, Asia and the Americas. I always wonder when I get to read such thoughts from people who live in places like Nigeria as these are places known for everything but knowledge but then maybe extreme adversities makes people wise in a faster way is what my logic is! While Tahir is from a country of knowledge & with origin from the Middle East & no wonder when the subject is about culture & city & people, I end up using both of their wisdom in blended form!

Recently I came across a discussion about the cities & real estate, as well its growth & one youngster tried to put forward the concept of promoting Pune as a destination as the best option for settling down here & at the same time to push for better civic facilities (infrastructure) in this city by real estate fraternity! As usual not many (read as, few senior developers) gave any attention to this aspect & I don’t blame as for decades real estate in Pune is enjoying a ride on high tide, though off late it’s not that easy being afloat, is also a fact!

But the discussion lingered in my mind for a long as what we should promote when we promote Pune, is it water quality (and quantity too) or is it Symbiosis i.e., education avenues or we should focus IT as well Service sector growth or it should be the industries or the weather (again, lol) which we can make as focal point of promoting Pune? I think to understand why a city grows, for this there can be many reasons depending upon geographic as well as social & many such aspects of life yet when it's Pune (or any city) then by me it’s the culture of the city which makes it as a best place for settling down! I know, many people will frown, as what culture has to do with settling down in life, does it help us get a better education or does cutler gives us a good package so we can enjoy life in our desired way or does culture ensures better infrastructure? Well, the answer is yes & no, both as if on one side culture may not give you direct incentives like salary or water or roads then on other side culture offers you something no money or the power can buy & that is satisfaction & peace! Speaking about satisfaction, agreed its individual perception towards life, but it’s the culture which helps you in defining satisfaction in the first place & that’s why I rate the culture of the city above all when it’s rating the city from the angle of settling down!

Ok, if you are still not satisfied with my logic then here are a few things or say incidents & then some events which the city has witnessed & then I will more elaborately specify the importance of the culture of a society (or city) in real estate! In last year’s rains on one stormy evening when everyone was rushing to reach home or running for shelter one traffic constable, Sujit Waghmare was standing in knee high water & trying to monitor the traffic jam, the media covered his heroic effort & dedication towards duty! Then there is news of some auto-rickshwala who goes all length to return a bag full of ornaments which has been forgotten by some unknown passenger & do mind the rickshawala was on other side worried to repay instalments of loan taken to buy the ricksha, yet he returned ornaments worth lakh of rupees to its rightful owner! Also, I came to know about some Sudhir Kulkarni who has his both sons settled in the USA & this guy visits Mangeshkar Hospital everyday & sits with patients to whom nobody visits, just to make them feel comfortable as he says he knows what is the feeling of being lonely! And last week there was news of a PMT (sorry PMPML) bus’s driver conductor Mr. Arun & Mr. Nagesh, who at midnight after completing their last trip of the day went to drop one lone lady passenger to her home, just to ensure she reached home safely as she was alone! Every mid-night on Sancheti bridge & few other spots a van comes which has collected left-over food from many restaurants in the city & this food is distributed to people who live on footpath & don't get any proper means of earning or are physically handicap! In this city only there is a billionaire family named Poonawalla & they have donated crores of rupees worth machinery to keep the city clean & provided infrastructure for garbage pickers for their hygiene & this nobody has forced on them!  And I can count hundreds of such stories of goodness, kindness, care all those emotions which we say are getting rare in today’s commercial world & by faceless men & women who are citizen of this city & do mind most of these acts are with the people whom these citizens even didn’t know & that is what I call culture of the city!

Again, few typical Punekars (yes, this too is a characteristic of our culture only) will ask what’s big deal in all this as aren’t the crime in the city is on rampant, what about corruption at its peak in every govt or semi-govt system, what about chaos on infrastructure front such as traffic, look at the pollution in the city & expensive health care facilities as well education & illegal construction around & look at the life which has become miserable for the common man, what’s culture has to do with all this? Indeed, what such Punekar is saying is true & life is hard for a common man but then this is scene not just in Pune but all around us even in most livable country like USA life has been tough for millions & survival is a constant fight still, it’s the culture which makes us able to survive the hardships of the life is a fact!

I am not shaming any other city or town or region but if you think Pune is not that good for living, then visit any city of its size & try living there for a month & write down (do write, it's important as it makes you go in depth) what you experienced especially while moving on the streets of the city or communication with citizens of that city as well tell me about social & cultural activities in that city & then compare the same one on one with Pune! Culture of this city doesn’t stop at being good or responsible towards other needy ones in the society but social life is equally an inherent part of the culture. Here for celebrating Ganeshutsov, millions of people come together on the last day’s procession & yet you are not afraid of that crowd. This city hosts Savai Gandharv Festival consistently for the last some 40 years where all the performing artists from the country are eager to perform their art, as this city has a culture to respect the art! And not just art may it be sports or wildlife conservation, Punekars are at front in every such social aspect of life. You go to any tiger project or forest of the country & the guides over there will tell how well informed and enthusiastic Punekar tourists are about wildlife & conservation! It's been here only, for last 25 years every Friday, “Katta” is performed, a forum where wild life personalities share their experiences with society & best part is, all these activities happen as naturally as the day & night are part of our life cycle, that’s what I call, culture of the city!

Ok, still if there are any doubting souls who will be thinking what this has to do with real estate then let me ask you something very personal! You are a successful person in your own field or you may be aspiring youngster trying to make your career & you have multiple offers from different places, but there is a city which offers you a feeling of being at home while you are on its streets, here you feel people may be bit weird even not much bind by rules but they are caring towards each other. Here in this city your daughter or wife can drive a two-wheeler back home all alone after the late-night drama show. Here in this city your kid has the opportunity to display his or her skills in sports, dance, painting or singing & won’t be judged just by his marks in the exam but will be acknowledged his (or her) other such skills too! Here in this city, you can go to your work without hesitating in case if your son comes back from school early, he won’t have to sit at doorstep empty stomach waiting for you to come back but will be taken to neighbor's home & looked after till you come back! Here in this city your elderly parents who have been shifted to your place from their native place won’t have to get bored but have a senior citizen club nearby & can entertain themselves without cribbing for your time with them! Here in this city, you don’t have to worry about communal riots & curfew like things, as people here celebrate Diwali & Eid with equal joy, this is the culture!   

All of the above make you feel like reading a description of an ideal city, right? And this is not just about Pune but when any human being decides to make some place as his or her residence, these are the aspects of life for which one looks at! Boss, this is the place where every-one of us wants to settle & this is the culture we are talking about. Because we all want to live in a city where one human accommodates another human by respecting the way he or she is & that is what we call culture & this culture is Pune’s real estate’s backbone, is what I strongly feel! And I am not saying this because I am a builder but as a citizen of this city! At the same time it's the duty of everybody (real estate frds, especially for you) to strengthen the culture of the city not just for the benefit of our respective business but for our next generation’s future too, as this understanding is also part of the culture with which we are blessed, right? Adios with this note!

*(Btw, just to mention at Credai Pune, we do try to take notice of such acts from the citizens & appreciate them in our little effort to respect & strengthen the culture of the city!)

-

Sanjay Deshpande 

Sanjeevani Dev.

Please view my sharing about real estate in Pune at You Tube link below..

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4xX7eopH5o&t=5s

 

Please do visit my blog links below to read about real estate & home buying! 

https://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2021/09/choosing-right-home.html

http://jivnachadrushtikon.blogspot.com/2021/09/blog-post_21.html

Creating Togetherness; team Sanjeevani Way (Click link below) 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/albums/72157627904681345

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

www.punecorporation.org

Take your issues to Hon PM at link below..

https://secure.mygov.in/

Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com