KANNIYAKUMARI: In the wake of human-wildlife conflict growing bitter by the day, a group of nature lovers in Kanniyakumari have been working towards reducing the harm done to forest areas and wildlife in the district. They have been collecting broken glass bottles that pose a danger to wildlife in the forest areas. Subsequently, they have planned to conduct a clean-up drive every month in these areas for a year.
The volunteers in the group said, along with the Kanniyakumari district forest department, 26 people were involved in the glass bottle clean-up drive in the Lower Kodayar region and Pechiparai in the Kanniyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary. We collected more than one tonne of glass bottles from the targeted area, they added.
Ulakkai Aruvi, a renowned tourist destination in Kanniyakumari, was plagued by extensive amounts of plastic garbage and glass bottles. Similar to the Kodayar cleanup drive, a team of 25 volunteers removed glass bottles that posed a threat to wildlife. With the combined efforts of the forest department and the volunteers, an impressive quantity of over 1.5 tonne of glass bottles was successfully collected.
Kanniyakumari Nature Foundation's Founder Vinod Sadhasivan said the presence of broken glass bottles in forest areas is hazardous to wildlife. "Animals could inadvertently come in contact with these glass shards, leading to injuries, cuts, infections, and even amputation. These injuries could also impair their ability to move, hunt, or defend themselves, making them more vulnerable to predation or other environmental threats," he added.
Stating that the cleanup efforts are being carried out in the Kanniyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary, focusing specifically on removing glass bottles, Vinod said the removed glass bottles are sent for recycling through local bodies. We plan to do the next cleanup drive in the Kazhikesam forest area and other areas, he said.
Another volunteer N J Umanath, stating that elephants' legs are very strong yet soft, said if a glass shard stays under the skin, the elephant may become incapable of moving, before it eventually succumbs to a slow and painful death. This could be avoided if humans stop carelessly throwing away bottles in forest areas, he said, adding that it is not just the elephants but also many other animals that fall prey to such carelessness.