Nature vs humans vs development

When hotels started coming up on the lakefront, animal encounters became more and more infrequent

This week, while crossing Bhimtal on the drive down from Almora in Uttarakhand, I commented on how the once-sleepy village around the lakefront had morphed into a crowded, tourist destination. “Indeed it has,” said taxi driver Ashok Singh, who turned out to be from Bhimtal. “It used to be surrounded by jungles till 20-odd years ago — but the growing demand from tourists and real estate developers has made Bhimtal a wonderful place to live today,” he added. I covered my nose to avoid inhaling exhaust fumes as we crawled to a standstill amid heavy traffic and continued with the