Tags:
Journalism of Courage
It8217;s sad but true. Munnar8217;s famed Eravikulam National Park and its environs are being ruined by uncaring tourists who perversely persist in littering this ecologically sensitive area with garbage.
Daily vehicles stream into the park packed with tourists, many of whom thoughtlessly discard their plastic water bottles and snack bags there, despite the prominent signboards asking them not to do so.
The park has been declared a plastic-free and no-smoking zone but, regrettably, some tourists believe in leaving their 8220;imprint8221; wherever they go. When dissuaded, they sometimes turn downright nasty, perceiving it as a violation of their 8220;rights8221;!
Indeed littering 8212; the bane of the park 8212; is causing considerable concern. A few years ago a post-mortem on a wild elephant conclusively established that its premature death was due to ingesting plastic. Then I once chanced upon a Nilgiri tahr guzzling a plastic bag containing fruit 8212; obviously with fatal consequences. And just the other day I came across a jackal near the park scavenging through the plastic-encased left-overs of a picnic lunch.
Mercifully, there is a silver lining: people who are committed enough to do something about this menace. On a recent visit to the Eravikulam National Park I saw a wildlife official stop his jeep on no less than three occasions to personally remove plastic bags left behind by tourists.
Even more heartwarming was the sight of an elderly tourist collecting, with his bare hands, a small stack of disposable plates littering the bank of Devikulam Lake near Munnar, and depositing them in a garbage bin.
Further, in a bid to eliminate the use of plastic altogether, local NGOs are trying to popularise carry-bags made of paper and cloth. Traders and shopkeepers have promised to cooperate with this environment-friendly initiative, but old habits die hard. Plastic bags, being more durable than paper bags and cheaper than cloth bags, are still widely used.
Equally innovative is the project launched by two local entrepreneurs to convert garbage into compost for agricultural use. Considering that Munnar8217;s garbage disposal system leaves much to be desired and its garbage dumps are veritable eyesores and breeding grounds for disease, this initiative deserves every possible encouragement.
Throughout the year tourists flock to Munnar to commune with nature and savour its bounty 8212; the scenic beauty, the bracing climate, the unbelievably pure air, the eye-soothing greenery and, above all, the wealth of wildlife. Indeed many rightly regard Munnar as one of the few unspoilt hill resorts left in the country. But, assuredly, it won8217;t remain so for long if littering 8212; especially with deadly, non-biodegradable plastic 8212; goes unchecked.
