Despite ban, plastic waste all-pervasive in Himachal

Palampur, June 2

Known for its abundance of flora and fauna, the hill state of Himachal Pradesh has long been known as the nature lover’s delight.

However, the reckless large-scale dumping of plastic waste in water channels and green forests of the state has become a major environmental hazard.

This practice is taking a toll on the ecology of the state, and if it goes unchecked, the situation can turn from bad to worse, with the lives of many wild animals in jeopardy, experts opine. Tourist hotspots of Kangra district like Palampur, Bir Billing, Jwalamukhi, Kangra, Baijnath, McLeodganj and Dharamsala are no stranger to heaps of plastic covers, water bottles and packets of eatables lying about almost everywhere.

Despite a ban on the sale and use of plastic imposed by the state government, most forested land and picnic spots are flooded with plastic items, with no authority seemingly bothered enough to remove these.

Environment Healers, a local NGO, had started a massive campaign to clean the Neugal river and the forests of Palampur.

However, in the absence of support from the state government and civic authorities, its volunteers are finding it difficult to the clean the area. Representatives of the NGO want the SDM and the municipal commissioners to support the cause so that tourists refrain from littering local water channels and forests.

The government agencies that are responsible for keeping a check on this practice have turned a blind eye to the situation, allowing the dumping of plastic in forest lands and rivulets.

As visitors litter waste with impunity, forests along the Bir Billing-Palampur-Ghatta-Dharamsala stretch and the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway have virtually turned into dumping grounds. Environmentalists attribute the careless dumping of plastic items by tourists to the lethargic monitoring by the officials responsible for the conservation of the area.

While most of the region falls under the ‘reserved forest’ category, the remaining areas are governed by panchayats, municipal councils and corporations.

Talking to The Tribune, Divisional Forest Officer Sanjeev Sharma said sustaining the biodiversity of the area was not possible without the cooperation of tourists. By and large, visitors lacked civic sense, prompting them to throw plastic items after use in forests and streams, he added. He said the cooperation of area residents was also necessary to tackle the menace.