The Assembly Committee on Environment has called for a total ban on plastics in view of indiscriminate dumping of plastic waste at Sabarimala.
Addressing a meeting of government officials after visiting places like Pampa, trekking path and Sannidhanam at Devaswom Guest House here on Monday, committee chairman C P Mohammed said that heap of plastic waste is pausing environmental problems in the forest, on the side of the trekking path and the surrounding areas of Lord Ayyappa temple.
To prevent the waste menace, the Travancore Devaswom Board and the government agencies concerned should initiate measures to prevent its use at Sabarimala, Mohammed said.
As part of the measure, the TDB should ensure potable water supply on the trekking path between Pampa and Sannidhanam, at all important points at Sannidhanam, Malikappuram and Pandithalavam, he said.
The members found empty bottles of multinational brands of soft drinks even deep into the forest. The committee chairman said that the number of toilets at Sannidhanam is inadequate
and immediate steps need to be taken to construct more toilets in commensurate with the increasing number of pilgrims, he said.
Measures also should be taken to keep the toilets at Sannidhanam and Pampa clean, he said.
Mohammed called for a green brigade for creating awareness among the pilgrims and to prevent dumping of plastic and other waste into the river, trekking path and in the forest.
He called to adopt a scientific method of processing plastic waste instead of burning it at incinerators. Mullakara Ratnakaran said that measures should be taken for the protection of the coconut plants brought by pilgrims to Sabarimala.
The plants could be distributed through Agriculture Department to farmers, he said. A M Arif said that measures should be taken to ensure setting up a sewage treatment plant at Sannidhanam to prevent pollution of Pampa and downstream areas.
The committee felt the need for a better coordination of various government departments under the leadership of the District Collector to keep Sabarimala, trekking path and Pampa clean.