Sharavati over Gemini

Social media is very powerful. It is impactful, significantly influential, but no doubt it can encase you and slowly pull you deep inside its soul. The concept of doom scrolling probably began with the rapid advancement of social media. I lately am using Instagram far too much, and I had to set a time limit reminder for myself. (Instagram designers already knew this weakness of ours, and they cleverly gave us an option to remind us to close the app. Genius fellas!!)

But for the last few days, it's been irritating. People are going absolutely crazy with the AI trends. They are picturing themselves through Gemini AI. This is not new, people keep following some not-so-cool trends very often. But this time, it is the 'Mini creature with tiny stature' and the 'lady in red transparent saree' that is filling up everybody's stories. And honestly, I really can't understand the point of interest behind this. According to me, 'Just doing what others do' is the filthiest idea. This makes me sick, and it has made me sick even from my childhood.

It almost feels like the algorithm is whispering: shrink yourself into a miniature doll, wrap yourself in a flimsy saree, and call it creativity. Everyone nods along, clicking, posting, copying—forgetting that originality once meant something. If this is what “art” is becoming, then perhaps we are only feeding machines with the same face, same pose, same tired imagination. And the saddest part? People still celebrate it as if it is something new.

If you are not getting what I'm putting out here, then I am so happy for you because you did not see this photo series. Let me explain what might have happened. One creative person somewhere out there in the world had the curiosity to see her/himself in some surreal looks. So, they wrote a prompt on the chatbot, gave in their pictures, and here's where the mistake began. They did not limit their excitement to themselves but posted it publicly on social media. Then, the boring people who lack creativity just copied the prompt, created the images for themselves, and posted them on the internet. And oh my! It did not stop. It spread wildly and is still growing like a forest fire.

I admit, I felt thrilled to see the images initially when the 'trend' started. But as days passed, the excitement quickly shrank into annoyance. That isn’t good at all later. Yet I can't complain much, because posting anything they want on their account is their choice. And clearly, I too can unfollow the account or simply choose to not see their posts!

Right now, however, the most dreadful and concerning issue has to be the Sharavati Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project. We, the people of Uttara Kannada, are appalled. The project outline itself is making us scary and restless. Checking on the updates of this project has become our daily ritual. And without doubt, the social media 'influencers' from our region are doing a great job. Creating awareness, voicing out, spreading the message—doing whatever is possible—is far better than sitting idle and thinking that my voice alone doesn't matter.

Okay, we all know this only at the surface level. But to know in detail, what is it really? I have got some facts to spill. The Sharavati Pumped Storage Project is about a hydroelectric pumped‐storage facility in Karnataka, meant to generate 2,000 MW of reversible power. In simple words, it is intended to function like a "water battery"; in the sense that during low demand (or excess power generation, say from solar or wind), water is pumped from a lower reservoir up to a higher reservoir. During peak demand, water is then released downward to generate electricity.

And you already know their target location! The project plans to utilize existing reservoirs: Gerusoppa dam as the lower reservoir and Talakalale dam as the upper reservoir. These are part of the Sharavathi river system. The region is in the Sharavathi Valley, Uttara Kannada, and in some parts of Shivamogga. The valley is within the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats. The Western Ghats that is fostering thousands of lives, the Western Ghats which is the biodiversity hotspot, the Western Ghats that stands as mother nature amidst the concrete jungle, the Western Ghats that is HOME for US!!!!

As far as we know, this project has been approved by the Central Electricity Authority (sadly), and the planned implementation time is about 5 years from the start. And we start losing our minds when we just think of this! Who the heck might have thought of this? They are not at all bothered about the occurring loss. According to their estimate, about 54.155 hectares of forest land is involved, including some area that is also part of the Sharavathi Valley Lion-Tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary. Tree felling is the biggest concern. Figures like ~12,000-16,000 trees being marked for cutting are cited; this is disheartening.

And the loss is not just about trees. It is about breaking the shelter of countless birds, wiping out medicinal plants no human has yet studied, disturbing the flow of streams that nurture villages, and threatening endangered species like the lion-tailed macaque. Massive tunnels are planned to be drilled deep into the fragile Western Ghats, tearing apart the very bedrock that holds this ecosystem together. Every blast of dynamite and every cut of stone will echo through caves, roots, and hidden streams that have existed for centuries. It is about turning a living forest into a dead statistic. These are not just numbers on a report; they are living roots, wings, and breaths that will vanish if this project executes.

Watching the politicians explain their side of the story, calling it 'beneficiary,' makes us mad. There are life-threatening cons here, so we don't even care about the pros.

Great efforts are being made to stop this and save Sharavati. Let us see what happens. Let us hope that our Mother Western Ghats won't be harmed. What matters to us is the land beneath our feet, the rivers that quench our thirst, the forests that breathe life into us. The Sharavati Valley is not just a location on a map, it is our inheritance, our shield, our heartbeat. If we lose it, no technology, no progress, no artificial creation can ever bring it back. Think of this the next time you scroll, post, or swipe away. Because silence in times like these is also a choice, and history will remember which side of silence we stood on.