Plastic Free Kanyakumari

Nagercoil bids adieu to plastic

Lallu Joseph


I have always been proud of my hometown, Nagercoil, and loved visiting it. In my view, Kanyakumari district, whose headquarters is Nagercoil, is definitely one of the most beautiful places in Tamil Nadu, nay India. Its rolling hills, pristine beaches, lush green paddy fields, mystic forests, serene plantations, marvellous small dams, breathtaking forts, sparkling ponds with colourful lotus floating, majestic waterfalls and exotic migratory birds make it a paradise on Earth.

Though Kanyakumari is featured in the tourism map from time immemorial, the picturesque regions of the district remained unexplored till recently with visitors soaking themselves in the grandeur of Kanyakumari and returning home unaware of the hidden splendour in the interior parts. But a sudden influx of tourists into other places in recent years saw plastic and the litter piling up, offering an eyesore.

When I visited Kanyakumari in May 2009, I was upset on seeing plastic all over the beach that is famous for its multi-coloured sand. We went to the shore at 10 pm and found the sight so repulsive that I decided not to visit Kanyakumari again. The thought that future generations would not get a chance to enjoy the beauty of the place appalled me.

But a delightful surprise was in store for me a few weeks back when I went to Nagercoil to see my parents and also drop my children at their grandparent’s house for the summer vacation. On the way to a relative’s place, I stopped at a fruit shop. The shopkeeper packed the grapes in paper with lotus leaf and handed it over to me as such without putting it in the customary plastic bag. When I asked for a plastic carry bag, the shopkeeper told me that the use of plastic is banned in Nagercoil.

I was still sceptical as to how the ban would work. Maybe, because the shop was bang outside the collector’s office, the man was adhering to the order, I thought. But all my subsequent shopping expeditions revealed that plastic covers have indeed been banished from the town. Even more surprising was the fact that my mother and all my aunts had cloth bags in their cars, and no one was complaining about the ban or on the need to carry their own bags for shopping.

I visited a hospital and was pleased to see ‘No Plastic’ banners in the campus. Small, but clearly visible, stickers were in all the auto rickshaws on a ‘no plastic’ drive. Prominent posters were put up outside school campuses announcing that the school premises is a plastic-free zone. Coffee and tea were served in paper cups at the roadside shops.

I became curious and started making enquiries. Everyone had good things to say about the efforts of the district administration. I was told that the district collector went in person to the business houses and convinced them on the need for banning plastic. The administration sent short messages on mobile phones highlighting the ban on non-degradable plastic items. Once the ban came into force, the administration formed 94 flying squads and raided shops, hotels and other commercial establishments to check on the use of non-biodegradable items.

But I still had a nagging doubt. So I drove down to Kanyakumari and was thrilled to see the change — not a single plastic bag on the shore. Now I am dreaming of my next trip to Kanyakumari. I want to sit on the multi-hued sands on a star-lit night and devour the beauty of the place.

source:expressbuzz.com