Dumping of waste along the ghat road from Kallar to Udhagamandalam stretch that traverses through the ecologically sensitive Nilgiris Bio-Reserve Sphere (NBR) is a cause for concern.
A group of environmentalist while travelling through the stretch on Monday found heaps of waste especially hundreds of empty bottles of Sidha medicine, Uro bag and empty blister packs of tablets were found dumped closer to a bridge abutting a falls on the seventh km from Coonoor towards Kallar.
T. Sakthivelu, Secretary of Sathyamangalam Environment and Wildlife Association (SEWA), expressed anguish at such mindless and indiscriminate dumping along the ghat section. Dumping such waste along the ghat section will pose a serious threat to the ecological system.
Mr.Sakthivelu wondered how such consignments could cross two checkposts and comfortably be dumped especially when there is constant vehicular movement on the ghat road.
If any remains of the medicine consumed by wild animals will certainly cause death. Already a number of monkeys are getting run over by the vehicles. It is a common sight to see large number of monkeys on either side waiting for the feed provided by tourists.
S. Vijay of the Nilgiris Wildlife and Environment Association (NWEA) urged the officials concerned to have a system to check such littering and dumping of waste and to have a system of patrolling the ghat section to prevent such activities.
In addition, wherever there is sufficient space on either side of the road for parking, tourists tend to take a small break from the up-hill journey. While stopping there, after the light eats or having their food, the tourists leave a number of plastic water bottles, packaging materials used for bringing food and paper plates along the entire stretch.
When contacted Nilgiris District Collector Archana Patnaik said that the issue has been taken note of and added that the departments concerned would be asked to look into this and necessary action would be initiated.
