IIT Madras Blamed for Death of Wild Animals and Poor Waste Management

Spotted deer feeding on garbage scraps on IIT Madras campus

IIT Madras has recently become a subject of controversy over a large-scale death of wild animals and poor waste management disposal on its campus. According to Md. Nasimuddin, Principal Secretary of the Environment and Forests Department, a data from the forest department showed that up to 517 animals had died, including spotted deer, blackbucks, and jackals, since 2010. The government of Tamil Nadu indicated that the issue had been given to the attention of the institute's management by the forest department on many occasions. An affidavit showed that the range forest officer from Guindy National Park had been carrying out weekly investigations inside the campus and advising authorities to take proper action. The affidavit further added that the forest department was taking legal action in case of an offence (i.e wildlife death due to an accident) against the person responsible on the campus, but did not provide facts of the action taken. The government also stated that IIT Madras must step in to curtail noise pollution during cultural festivals. The wildlife warden of Guindy National Park suggested a number of steps such as safe disposal of solid waste like plastic, a fully developed veterinary care unit, and a plan for management and protection of wildlife.

IIT Madras logo

The news about the death of several wild animals on the IIT Madras campus, due to poor management is very appalling. Several of the victims included endangered species like blackbucks and much of the campus is protected forest which is carved out of Guindy National Park. This means that students and staff have the opportunity to see wild animals on the university grounds. But with the presence of wild animals, it is crucial to properly manage waste disposal and ensure that wild animals stay safe by any means. This includes educating the students and staff to never feed the animals and establishing a segregated area exclusively for the wildlife. The affidavit included that blackbucks were attacked by stray dogs, which indicates the need to establish such an area to protect the wildlife. Furthermore, an inspection report by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board showed that plastic waste was seen in areas such as Krishna Hostel gate, Velachery residential area, and the sewage treatment plant area. This is why properly managing waste disposal, especially plastic, is of utmost important to prevent any possible incidents of pollution in the vicinity of IIT Madras. In addition, noise pollution should also be kept at minimum due to the presence of Guindy National Park.

View article here