“The specter of... ”

The problems faced at the Doongerwadi in Bombay have been aired in the Editorial Viewpoint ("The specter of Doonger­wadi,” Parsiana, June 7, 2006). Of late, the vultures on whom we depended in the past have failed us completely. The present alternative, of decomposing our Zoroastrian corpses through solar concentrators, is not 100 percent effective in Bombay where we have three to four months of heavy monsoon per year. The Zoroastrians who die during this season are most unfortunate because their dead bodies simply rot for days on end due to lack of strong sunlight. We have got to think about a 100 percent effective system to last throughout the year.

The original idea behind offering our dead bodies to vultures was based on the belief of doing some sort of charity even after death. If these birds are no longer available, we can still serve our purpose by offering the bodies to carnivorous animals. We can create a mini zoo on the vast land available at the Doongerwadi. This zoo need not have lions, tigers or leopards. Wolves, foxes and hyenas are equally carnivorous.

Better still, we can develop a pond of suitable size and release therein alligators or crocodiles. The way these reptiles swallow up a corpse is more dignified than the obnoxious habit of pecking to bits, and fighting amongst one another for grabbing a bigger share of the feed, adopted by birds and animals. The number of these reptiles required would depend on advice from zoological experts. It will be important to know how long it takes for a crocodile to digest a body it has swallowed, and after what time it will be hungry enough for a subsequent feed considering that on an average, three to four corpses per day are consigned at the Doongerwadi.

FARAMARZ B. SETHNA

Gandhidham, Kutch

As our community needs vultures at the Doongerwadi, why not start a breeding center for vultures in Bombay?

We have lots of land in the suburbs which the government is eyeing. Will those trusts be magnanimous to donate that land for this project? The Bombay Natural History Society will be only too glad to find a donor like us as they wish to restore the vultures to their former glory; and we should be glad as it will suit our purpose.

Money should be no problem as the Bombay Parsi Punchayet has lots of funds at its command and can certainly give a helping hand to this project. May we expect it or is it too embroiled in its own petard?

Come on Zoroastrians, come forward to start this project!

KATY GUNDEVIA