Here is my write up that appeared on Tuesday in Ranchi edition

Who will stem rape of the rock?
Prasanna Raghav
Ranchi, November 17

In Ranchi, rock art does exist! But instead of being historically relevant, it has great commercial value.
A hillock in Bariatu, near the firing range, has, of late, been made a soft target of commercial vandalism – the rocks here bear the brunt of advertisements painted on them.
The Supreme Court, in a landmark judgement last year, had imposed a heavy penalty on the cola companies for causing similar environmental damage to the Rohtang Pass and its adjoining areas. An appointed committee had stated that such advertisements violate the Forest Conservation Act 1980 and also a SC order of 1996.
However, the concerned departments in Jharkhand have found it convenient to ignore the SC judgment.
The land in question does not belong to the Forest Department. But does that absolve them of their duty towards preserving nature?
A top forest department official said that though the department officials were aware of the advertisements, they have preferred to ignore. Department secretary Mukhtiyar Singh said he came to know about the advertisements only two days ago but is not sure on the course of action to be taken. An official said that plantation activities were carried out by the department near the hillock to "turn the area into a green pasture".
It's an irony that in spite of identifying the area for plantation activities, the Forest Department missed out on such glaring advertisements in the adjoining hillock.
Though the land is owned by the district administration, its officials have no inkling into the matter. "Now that we have come to know of it, we will take up the matter urgently," said ADM Vimal Chaudhary.
As the pass-the-buck attitude continues to reverberate in the corridors of power, the rocks stand defaced even today.