SALEM: Plastic waste is becoming a growing environmental concern in Yercaud, with residents and forest department officials warning that discarded water bottles, food wrappers, covers and plastic cutlery are piling up across the hill station despite the ban on several single-use plastic items. The problem is particularly severe during weekends and holidays, when tourist footfall increases and the town generates nearly two tonnes of waste a day, twice than regular days.
Residents said the increased use of packaged drinking water, food packaging and other plastic items has added to the waste generated in the hill station. Inadequate waste segregation, limited collection facilities and poor enforcement of the plastic ban have made it difficult to control the problem, they said.
Plastic waste is frequently found around Ondikadai, Boat House, Nagalur Road and Manjakuttai, residents said.
M Keerthana, a resident, said awareness campaigns and cleaning drives conducted by NGOs, organisations and educational institutions had not brought about a lasting change. “Though single-use plastic is banned, many shops continue to provide plastic items and they are still widely used,” she said. S Murali, an auto driver, said water bottles were among the major sources of plastic waste generated by tourists. “Like in Ooty, there should be strict enforcement. Plastic water bottles below five litres should not be allowed,” he said.
The problem also poses a threat to Yercaud’s wildlife, according to a senior forest official from the Yercaud range. The forest area extends across around 2,500 hectares, with only limited portions accessible to tourists. The official said discarded plastic could be consumed by animals along with food waste, posing a serious threat to wildlife.
Yercaud is home to more than 1,000 Indian gaurs, which frequently move through areas adjoining human settlements. The presence of plastic waste in such areas increases the risk of the animals consuming it, the official said.
