Karwar: Habits die hard. Especially so, when people are unwilling to change for the better and learn to look at the positive side of ringing in the change.
Awareness, and raids, not withstanding, the ground reality is, Uttara Kannada district has not been able to wish away the use of plastics.
With citizens yet to make a conscious effort to break away from the past, both environmentalists, and government officials, are at a loss, as what more should be done to ensure a plastic free society.
The ground reality is in the last six months, officials have conducted raids at several places seizing plastic bags worth lakhs of rupees. Offenders have also been penalised. However, the menace of plastic has not been rid of.
Be it shops, fish market, roads, dense jungle or tourist destinations, plastic waste are everywhere to be seen. Plastic waste like empty mineral water bottles, wrappers and other waste can be seen littered haphazardly on the roadside, especially near tourist spots. Some wrappers have eatables left with many animals consuming them with the wrappers and turning ill as a result.
Officials have raided 152 places till June this year and seized 8.95 tonnes of plastic during raids. They have collected Rs 67,600 penalty from offenders. In Ankila taluk alone the sum was around Rs 22,800.
The amount of plastic seized by local bodies under their ambit include 3.5 tonne in Ankola, 1.5 tonne in Karwar, 7.72 quintal in Honnavar, 7.71 quintal in Haliyal, 6.35 quintal in Sirsi, 2.72 quintal in Dandeli, 2.72 quintal in Kumta, 2.72 quintal in Mundgod, 2.26 quintal in Bhatkal, 1.81 quintal in Siddapur, 1.36 quintal in Yellapur and 90 kg in Jali Panchayat limits. Officials observe that reuse of plastic bags, use of cloth bags and effective management of waste can help in controlling plastic pollution. But citizens need to cooperate with the authorities on this singular mission.
State Pollution Control Board Environment Officer Vijaya Hegde said garbage bins on roads must be kept at distances. They must be cleared regularly. People must also ensure waste is dumped in garbage bins only.
Srinivas, a tourist from Bengaluru, on a visit to Devimane Ghat, said tourists carry water bottles and cold drink bottles on tours. Whenever, they are full, they do not find it heavy. But once empty, they look at ways to discard them finding them an extra baggage to lug around. This attitude must undergo change. They must discard waste at stipulated place only. Also, they must do away with use-and-throw culture. Plastic waste affects land, rivers, seas and forests, the entire environment around us. Hence, it is time, people said a big NO to plastic.