The Munnar panchayat officials on Friday started to clear the non-segregated waste from a dumping yard at Kallar, near Nallathanni, where wild elephants were found eating plastic waste.
Activists of the Munnar Environment and Wildlife Society (MEWS) on Thursday had noticed two tuskers eating waste from the yard. They alerted the Forest department and panchayat officials, who reached the spot and chased the tuskers from the dumping yard. The Hindu on Friday reported the incident.
Munnar panchayat secretary K.N. Sahajan said the panchayat had already begun to shift the non-segregated waste from the dumping yard to a waste treatment plant. “The non-segregated waste will be processed at the plant soon. A major part of the non-segregated waste is thrown by tourists,” said the official.
“The panchayat is requesting tourists not to throw waste, including food and plastic waste, at the tourist spots of Munnar,” said the secretary.
“The panchayat will seize the vehicles and impose heavy fines on persons who are found throwing waste here. Several waste bins are already placed at various centres and more will be set up,” said Mr. Sahajan.
“A special team will be deputed in Munnar to monitor the waste disposal at different spots and to collect them. Three green army members will be appointed from January 17 onwards, and they will provide assistance in Munnar round the clock,” said Mr. Sahajan.
President of MEWS and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) district vice president R. Mohan said the members of MEWS would monitor the presence of wild animals in the dumping yard.
“If hanging solar fencing is installed around the dumping yard, it would prevent the entry of wild animals, including elephants, in the dumping yard,” said Mr. Mohan.
However, Mr. Sahajan said the dumping yard is functioning on the Kannan Devan Hills Plantations’ (KDHP) land. “If the company allows, the panchayat is ready to install a hanging solar fencing around the dumping yard, ” he said.
