Declare areas around Marudhamalai Hills zero-plastic zone: Activists

COIMBATORE: The forest department (Coimbatore division) has appealed to the Marudhamalai temple management to remove garbage in the temple surroundings by highlighting the risks threatening wildlife.

“The authorities in the temple located in the reserve forest area have assured us considering our demand and clearing the garbage. Also, our teams conduct regular inspections in shops located in Marudhamalai atop the hills to curb the selling of food items packed in plastic,” said an official of the forest department.

District Forest Officer N Jayaraj instructed Forest Range Officers in the district to study and find out if there are any instances of garbage dumping near reserve forest areas, causing a threat to wildlife.

Meanwhile, environmentalists demanded that the entire area surrounding Marudhamalai Hills be declared a zero-plastic zone. “Stringent penalties should be levied on shops that sell plastics atop the hills. Even the shops lined up in the foothills sell food items wrapped in plastic and use plastic carry bags in violation,” said V Shanmugasundaram, secretary of Coimbatore Wildlife Conservation Trust (CWCT).

Garbage dumping in the valley behind the tribal settlement in the Marudhamalai needs to be cleared.

“Several elephants may have been affected by the garbage menace. However, its impact came to light only after the recent death of a wild elephant. Last year too, an ailing elephant was revived after treatment near Marudhamalai hills. The department should take up monitoring of all elephants that frequent this locality and intervene, if necessary, by providing treatment,” he added.

It is to be noted that the forest area coming under the Coimbatore forest division used to witness heavy movement of elephants as this region turned out to be a transit point for elephants from Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and Siruvani region.