MADIKERI: Two persons with 15 sacks of plastic waste were nabbed by the Makutta Wildlife Range officers on Monday evening. The accused allegedly tried dumping the waste, which was allegedly brought from Kerala, at the Makutta Reserve forest area in Kodagu.
The Makutta forest borders Kodagu district and Kerala state is gradually turning into an open dump yard, with waste brought in loaded trucks from Kerala. The reserved forest and wildlife forest area has been filled with plastic, bottles and other litter. A complaint in this regard was forwarded by a few alert residents to the district Chief Conservator of Forests.
The officials of the Forest Department took to action following these complaints. While routine checks were being made at the Makutta forest check-post, the foresters began to check the trucks for loaded garbage.
On Monday evening, a truck with 15 sacks of waste was seized near the Makutta check post. The truck driver and cleaner allegedly planned to dump the waste in the reserve forest area of Makutta. They were caught while driving the garbage-filled truck near Kootu Pooley Bridge on Kodagu-Kerala border. The accused have been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.