COIMBATORE: The Nilgiris district administration launched a drive to buy back empty liquor bottles on Sunday, but has done very little to remove bottles discarded by the road and near forest boundaries though mass cleaning works started on May 11.
On Saturday, a large number of empty liquor bottles were seen dumped along the road in Kattery park, which has upset nature lovers and environment activists. N Sadiq Ali, founder wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust (WNCT) said,
“I have seen tourists in cars drinking and throwing away empty liquor bottles along the road. Even personnel from the highway patrol do not show interest in stopping those drinking in vehicles. As this is one of the places where wild elephants move around, there is a high chance that animals may get injured if they step on the bottles. Officials have not shown any seriousness on the issue,” he added.
Another activist, who did not wish to be named, said the Nilgiris administration should raise awareness about the buyback drive and open enough collection centres. . Sadiq Ali pointed out that plastic waste and liquor bottles are discarded on the Kotagiri road, too, where gaur, sambar deer, and spotted deer roam freely.
SM Sasikumar, forest range officer, Coonoor, said the department staff, with the help of volunteer, used to clear the waste and liquor bottles frequently. “However, with the tourist footfall high, we cannot monitor them. We are concentrating on our efforts to mitigate man-elephant conflict.”
Nilgiris District Collector SP Amrith said he would look into the issue. He added that from Sunday, liquor bottles could be returned to all the 70 TASMAC outlets in the district, and consumers could get a refund of `10 per bottle. “We started mass cleaning from May 11 and set up ten collection points to collect bottles, five more will be set up soon.”