Everything cannot be a social media trophy!

A rare flower in the plateau and hill-crest habitats of the Northern Western Ghats. Pic/Jigar Solanki

A race for the perfect monsoon photograph, garnering an avalanche of online admiration and a quest for the viral reel is putting some of the Western Ghats' rarest flowering plants at risk, said our report. Botanists and wildlife experts warn that irresponsible tourism across rocky lateritic plateaus of Lonavala and the Maval region could push several species towards local extinction, it added.

Our cavorting, mobile camera brandishing, without a care in the world visitors are increasingly venturing onto fragile plateaus for photographs. In the process, they trample delicate plants, they pluck flowers like some kind of trekking trophy and, in some cases, drive off-road vehicles across the habitat.

We have listed species bearing the brunt of this behaviour that include Sahyadri lantern flower, ground orchids, black musli and the iconic Karvi.

It is time we learn to respect nature which also means to enjoy it from a distance, or in ways that do not bring harm to this flora. One certainly knows when trampling on flowers and plants. It is not done unknowingly, most of the time but in a rush of excitement trying to find a perfect spot for a picture that will promise social media immortality.

Driving off-road vehicles, crushing this life under the wheels is criminal and that is saying it straight. We do not need penalties all the time, we need our conscience telling us that this is not the right thing and get those vehicles off flower beds.

Put away those cameras and inane posing and replace with care, consideration and concern. Let nature bloom and give it room.