With the ill-effects of plastic on the environment increasing at an alarming rate, the Indian hill station Ooty has made a firm decision to combat this menace.
One of the most sought-after tourist destinations in India, Ooty, a hill station in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is a hub for tourism. This part of Southern India is a beautiful place to be with your loved ones on a holiday. And now, this hill station has taken a step closer to becoming environmentally friendly.
The Nilgiri District Administration that is in charge of Ooty has passed a rule to ban the sale of single-use plastics that include water bottles, food items packed in plastic, and soft drinks in the town and the highways leading to the district’s major towns. This ban is all set to come into effect from August 15th this year, which is also India’s Independence Day.
Announcement of the ban
The ban has been announced following an order by Madras High Court. Last month, the Madras High Court issued a notice prohibiting the entry of any kind of plastic packages into the district. This huge move by the Nilgiri District Administration is being lauded all over the country.
With a huge spread of plastic waste among cities and countries all over the world, any small step taken towards solving this menace will go a long way. Ooty is all set to be plastic-free as soon as possible and if taken into account Nilgiri district’s notices, the dream is not too far.
This court order has banned the entry of single-use plastics in the following entry points in Nilgiri – Burliar, Kakkanallah, Kunjapanai, Nadugani, Pattavayal, Geddai, Nambiar Kunnu, Thalur, and Solladi. The tourists would be required to drop any plastic items that they carry along with them before they enter the district.
The petition came into existence after a worried Nilgiri resident brought to light the damage done to Ooty by tourists from all over the world. The hill station had started to become a garbage dump and he wanted to take action to change the situation.
For tourists in Nilgiri
Following this ban, the tourists are expected to carry recyclable plastic containers for water. However, there will be RO water stations set up along the highways that lead to Ooty and major tourist spots in the district for people to have access to drinking water.
This ban has also been extended to Kodaikanal hill station in Dindigul district, which has seen a massive increase in the amount of plastic waste in recent years.
These hill stations are visited by more than 50 lakh tourists every year and have been facing severe environmental issues, resulting in a downfall in their natural beauty.
Ooty, which is 200 years old, has a population of 80,000. It has been, unfortunately, struggling to provide with the infrastructure and facilities for thousands of tourists that arrive here every day. Hopefully, this step will prove to be a crucial one in the development of Ooty in the near future.
We’re all very proud of Ooty for this major step and sincerely hope that many cities would follow its footsteps.
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