Forest Department to enforce strict monitoring

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Forest Department would enforce strict monitoring mechanism at Ponmudi Eco-Tourism counter to check the dumping of plastic waste and bottles at the tourism spot. As part of this, the department had introduced the collection of caution deposit at the checkpost to ensure that bottles are not left in the Ponmudi region.The officials would collect Rs 50 for each bottle that would be carried by a tourist to Ponmudi which would be reimbursed on their return. Also, the Forest Department had made arrangements to supply ‘Sabari Jalom’, the state’s first bottled drinking water brought out by the Forest Department, at the counter. Each bottle would be charged Rs 25 and Rs 10 would be reimbursed when the bottle is returned at the counter on the return journey.On Republic Day,’Clean Ponmudi, Green Ponmudi’ drive was conducted at the Ponmudi Upper Sanitorium, under the leadership of Thiruvananthapuram Divisional Forest Officer. Forest officials, policemen attached to Ponmudi police station and Ponmudi VSS members took part at the cleanliness drive. About 200 bags of plastic were removed from the region.The Divisional Forest Officer urged the public to cooperate with the new stipulations. The effort is part of the Thiruvananthapuram District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) to declare the district as ‘plastic free’.A move is on to declare a ban on the plastic carrybags. This would be enforced initially at Kovalam, Veli, Akkulam, Ponmudi, and Varkala.