The summer vacation is here. Plans for your holidays have been made. Some have already packed their bags.
India offers a delectable variety of holidays — high in the mountains, by the sea shore, on the banks of a river, temple towns, tribal belts, in forest lodges, the list is endless. The experience of any kind of holiday is hugely enjoyable.
But… stop for a minute and think why you have chosen that particular place for your holiday. Of course, because it is beautiful and so pristine!
Would you ever think of stopping at a place that is piled with garbage to have a picnic?
Pack it up
As you leave for your vacation, pack along some healthy thoughts with you.
Most of the hill stations like Udhagamandalam, Kodaikanal, Darjeeling and Mussoorie have banned the use of plastic bags. Anyone using plastic bags is heavily fined. Goodies are packed in paper bags. It would save you a lot of trouble if you could pack a few cloth bags for your shopping.
Holidays mean picnics that involve paper or plastic plates, cups, bottles of juice and the innumerable packets of chips. As you leave, take care to dispose of the litter — again if you care to carry a garbage bag you can take your litter away to be disposed of in the right place. This way you are not only leaving the place clean for others to enjoy, but also for you to enjoy a picnic at the same place again.
Litter clogs natural springs and streams, and this will disturb the flow of water to the villages that depend on them. Most importantly, there are animals that roam in secluded places or by the water bodies. They could be easily choked to death if they eat litter.
Picnics also involve jolly camp fires. Care must be taken to see that the fire is put out completely, if not forest fires can break out as summer in hill stations is dry and the foliage lights up as easily as a match stick.
Music enlivens a holiday, but loud music in the quiet pockets of the hills has a flip side. The noise could disturb the wildlife that resides there. Teasing and irritating wildlife you might sight is definitely “no-no”
A little care and responsibility on your part will make this vacation a beautiful experience, not only for you but also for this Earth.
