Bee Kind to Honey Bees — Our Best Friends on Earth….by Kulbhushan Kanwar
In a recent Facebook post, Gaurav Goel, an advocate, showed dead honey bees in Sector-17 — a brutal act by the Municipal Corporation that attracted the attention of environment-friendly people.
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation uninterruptedly continues the practice to remove honeycombs by using large brass diesel tanks to spray and burn bee hives found on trees or elsewhere, burning the beehives mercilessly in urban areas, resulting in the death of honey bees — the most tiny pollinators holding our planet. Bees make food possible through pollination, one of the most important biological processes on Earth.
M.C. faces lots of condemnation by environmentalists for this kind of damage to urban biodiversity.
Though there are many such instances in recent years:
Mohali School Attack in April-26 where about 50 students of St. Soldiers were stung by honey bees and were rushed to Phase 6 Civil Hospital.
Haryana Secretariat Attack in Feb-25 wherein two CISF personnel were injured. Nov-24 wherein a 50-year-old gardener died after being stung multiple times by honey bees.
There are a number of incidents that have taken place in places like Panjab University, green parks, and areas around Sukhna Lake.
Honey bee attacks occur particularly during spring and summer when swarms are active.
Honey bees are necessary for our planet’s survival. They are the most effective pollinators, and about 75% of our food crops i.e. 130 types of fruits, nuts, and vegetables — including apples, berries, almonds, and avocados — nearly 90% of wild flowering plants, and maintain biodiversity apart from providing honey, wax, and bee glue.
According to FAO reports, 1/3rd of the world’s food production depends on bees. Apart from this, they maintain ecosystems, contribute billions of dollars through agricultural crop production, and help in environmental balance. Bee venom is studied for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving qualities, and honey itself acts as a natural soothing agent for coughs.
If honey bees disappear, it will be difficult for human existence. So instead of killing them, it would be appropriate for government agencies to start rehabilitating them to safer places like forested areas. Involve bee removal experts, use bee vacuums, and allow beekeepers to cut the honeycomb and transfer it into hive boxes. NGOs should be involved to create a bee-friendly environment.
The Department of Forest and Wildlife, Chandigarh should appoint professionals and create a team like the Snake Rescue Team, which has been most effective in Chandigarh and working successfully for a decade. Instances of killing snakes by people have tremendously come down.
The Department of Forest and Wildlife, Chandigarh should book the culprits under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which empowers the department, as honey bees are protected under the Act.
The total forest cover is 7,15,343 sq km according to ISFR Report 2023, increased to 8,27,357 sq km, with total tree cover area of 1,12,014 sq km; total forest and tree cover comes to 8,27,357 sq km.
Though the cutting of trees without permission is illegal under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, in the name of development a number of trees are felled, especially in tribal areas, despite the fact that they are covered under the Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989. The cutting of trees leads to habitat loss for honey bees and other wildlife.
Though there are many projects like Nagarahole National Park, Karnataka, and villages in Uttarakhand where “bee fences” are created, the National Honey Mission and National Beekeeping and Honey Mission are actively performing in many states, and Mukhyamantri Madhu Vikas Yojana boosts local biodiversity for increasing honey production and bee protection.
Even WWF is focusing on saving and rehabilitating honey bees on a community basis. Beekeeper associations in Punjab and projects promoting companion planting like marigold, mustard, sunflower, etc., with crops help save honey bees because they understand that saving honey bees and all pollinators is one of the most impactful things one can do for food security and the environment. Bees pollinate about 1/3rd of the food we eat.
But these efforts are not enough. We need to do much more, like creating bee-friendly habitats by growing nectar flowers, shunning the use of pesticides, ensuring enough water sources to keep them hydrated, and above all, launching awareness campaigns in schools, colleges, and villages.
May 6, 2026
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Kulbhushan Kanwar, Special Correspondent
Babushahi.com
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