India, May 24 -- It would seem that all around us, there are disturbing visions of vanishing insects. As creatures vital to pollination and micro-scavenging, insects are the subject of media reports with global studies auguring their catastrophic declines and extinctions. But Mother Nature has a way of flowering her pristine beauty in niche habitats hidden from the envious gaze of humanity.

On Wednesday afternoon as temperatures soared to 44.4 degrees Celsius, I stumbled upon a little oasis in the Shivalik foothill jungles. It was a waterfall flowing over a gentle incline and gurgling like a human baby. It was water released from the Parchh check dam, which lies a few kilometres behind the PGIMER as the falcon flies. The course of the wa...