The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Where roses wilt and trees talk

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 29, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Where roses wilt and trees talk

Staff Reporter

A cartoon competition to highlight the effect of vehicular pollution

— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

A good laugh: Actor Tara along with Director-General and Inspector-General of Police K.R. Srinivasan at the Chitrakala Parishat in Bangalore on Wednesday.

BANGALORE: A boy was waiting with a red rose in hand for his girlfriend at a bus stop. By the time his girlfriend arrived, the red rose had turned black, thanks to smoke emitted by the vehicles passing through the road.

This was one of the cartoons, among many, that were on display at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat here on Wednesday.

The exhibition was organised by the State Transport Department, in association with the Karnataka State Cartoonists’ Association, to create awareness among the public about the ill-effects of vehicular air pollution.

In another cartoon, a person was about to cut a tree. The tree tells the person, indicating a vehicle emitting thick black smoke, “You first eliminate that vehicle.”

These two cartoons were drawn by eminent cartoonist Panduranga Rao.

Another cartoon by V.R.L. Shekhar depicted mythological characters.

Agni (the fire god) was shown telling Narada, “Better to be away from this Vaayu (the god of air) because he is contaminated by vehicular pollution on earth.”

Prakash Shetty, who won the second prize in the State-level cartoon competition, had a cartoon on the plight of traffic policemen. An ailing patient tells the doctor examining his chest X-ray, “I had already told you doctor, nothing would be visible as I am a traffic constable.”

Presiding over the inauguration of the exhibition, Principal Secretary to Government (Transport) D. Thangaraj urged the public to make use of public transport so that use of private vehicles comes down.

This would result in reduced emission of carbon monoxide in the air.

At the exhibition, the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police K.R. Srinivasan said awareness on vehicular pollution cannot be created by the departments of Transport and Police alone. Public would have to be aware of their duties and do their bit in reducing air pollution, he felt. Actor Tara inaugurated the exhibition.

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