Disappearing wadas and rising piles of garbage kill sparrows in Pune, and cause city's crow population to grow several fold

Destruction of the once popular wadas in city built during the time of Peshwas has led to a gradual decline of sparrows, say experts

Once considered the pensioner's paradise, Pune has seen rapid urbanisation and this has led to a peculiar environmental change u2014 crows have multiplied drastically while sparrows have correspondingly declined.

Noted ornithologist and orthopedic surgeon, Dr Satyasheel Naik feels that one of the reasons for this rapid decline is the high level of pollution, deforestation, and the destruction of wadas, that were the hallmark of Pune. According to him, these wadas were a favourite spot for sparrows, as they provided excellent nesting facilities.

Naik, who has been studying birds since he was eight, said, "This indicates how the ecosystem of the city has changed. The spurt in the crow population indicates greater generation of garbage in the city, while the reduction in the sparrow population indicates environmental degradation."

When he shifted to his bungalow in the Cantonment area a decade ago, he was upset that birds never settled in the trees in his garden. To draw them to his garden, he started constructing artificial birdhouses in the trees. Now nearly 45 species of birds, including migratory birds, have made his garden their home.

V B Savarkar, former Director of Wildlife Institute of India said, "This observation has been made by many, but there is no population survey of these birds unlike some other feathered varieties. The change in architecture
has also taken its toll on the environment."

Vinod Jain, an environmentalist, added, "Sadly, the government does not have any plan or policy to protect
these birds."