The Gir National Park in Gujarat boasts of huge scores of wildlife lovers and other tourists every year owing to its rich biodiversity and magnanimity. However, plastic has now invaded the entire Gir sanctuary which is also stated to be the last abode of Asiatic lions. In fact, around 200km of public roads pass through the sanctuary, of which nearly 175km is in Gir (west) division.
Empty water bottles and packets of snacks is strewn on both sides of the roads in the protected area, leading to accumulation of plastic and other wastes. Concerned, the forest department on Friday launched the first-ever drive to clean the sanctuary of plastic. While rough estimates suggest that there could be 10 tonnes of plastic inside the sanctuary, on the first day itself, volunteers collected about 580 kg plastic waste from Gir (west) division.
“We have covered 175 km of roads in all ranges. Around 300 people, including volunteers and forest staff, are involved in the exercise,” remarked R R Nala, deputy conservator of forest (Gir-West) in Junagadh. Also, many non-vegetarian food leftovers, condoms and plastic wastes were found under bridges that is not just shameful but also responsible for degrading the environment. Many hotels in the area dump the waste into water channels in the forest,” said a volunteer.
“Plastic in the forest and the sanctuary is a serious issue that affects the ecosystem. Only cleaning will not solve the problem. The government must come out with a permanent solution,” said nature conservationist Revtubha Raijada, who is among the volunteers.
Tags: Gir Gir lions gujarat
