CHENNAI: A total of 54.5 tonnes of plastic waste was collected on Saturday from wildlife habitats and reserve forests across the state in a cleanup drive organised by the forest department, along with over 12,900 participants including NGOs, students, local communities, and department staff.
The campaign ‘Plastic-Free forests’ covered all 46 forest divisions and saw widespread public engagement. “It’s a people’s movement to protect our forests and wildlife from the dangers of plastic,” Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Department said.
Tiruvannamalai (7.3 t), Chennai division (2.5 t), Chengalpattu (2.04 t), Dharmapuri (2.6 t) and Coimbatore (3.5 t) were among the top contributors. This comes after reports of several wildlife deaths, including those of elephants, caused by plastic ingestion. In May, a pregnant elephant died at the Maruthamalai foothills near Coimbatore and plastic bags were found in its intestine.
Supported by nearly 2,500 forest department staff, 10,371 students and volunteers from 200 educational institutions and civil society organisations participated in the drive, officials said. In all 132 checkposts served as plastic screening and collection points, acting as the first line of defence to prevent plastic from entering protected areas. Forest ranges and biodiversity hotspots like Nilgiris, Meghamalai, Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, and the coasts of Thoothukudi and Nagapattinam were targeted.