From Greenery To Garbage: Kodagu's Forests Pile Up With Illegal Waste Dumped From Kerala

Protected forest regions have often been subject to tourists and others leaving behind their plastic waste. The natural ecosystem continues to be clogged and choked by human activities. Some residents and forest officials have taken it upon themselves to hold these litterers responsible for their actions.

After the forest and wildlife in Kodagu started facing serious threats due to the illegal dumping of waste, residents flagged it to the officials and had them look into those guilty. However, these small community actions alone would not save the forest fringes unless each and every individual takes conscience of their responsibilities.

Bordering Environmental Concerns

Kodagu is a district in Karnataka known for its green expanses and fertile agricultural grounds. These lands are now under serious threat due to the illegal dumping of truckloads of waste from Kerala. This is also the case in the forest fringes around the NH-275 (Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway). The lush expanses are constantly blanketed by garbage due to a lack of public awareness and proper disposal facilities for tourists.

In particular, the Makutta Reserve Forest and the Bramhagiri Wildlife Forest have seen the waste pile up as it lines the Karnataka-Kerala border. It gradually then transformed into an open dumping yard for both states. However, some alert residents from the district, along with the Kodagu Seva Kendra, flagged the issue and brought it to the authorities notice. The authorities soon started collecting waste from the forest fringes and burning it. They also increased checks around the Makutta check-post.

As a result of the stricter checkings, a truck driver and a cleaner were booked for allegedly transporting 15 sacks of plastic waste from Kerala to dump in the forest area. They were charged under the Wildlife Protection Act, and soon the number of violators being caught rose in numbers. Dechamma, Range Forest Officer (RFO) of the Makutta forest, assured that the “foresters will conduct daily patrolling across the reserve forest area to prevent travellers from littering."

Need For Scientific Waste Management

While the residents had alerted the officials to the garbage concern, they were unhappy with the way the foresters decided to manage the waste. They had reached out to the officials under the presumption that they would have the means and scientific equipment to deal with the truckloads of waste. However, the foresters decided to burn away the large pile of garbage within the forest limits, which can be threatening both to the forest as well as the people living there.

Apart from this, the foresters also voiced their concern about the awareness not reaching the crowds rightly. Hundreds of tourists take the Makutta route to reach Kannur International Airport, making it difficult for the foresters to prevent littering. According to a report by The New Indian Express, foresters conduct cleanliness drives across the forest once a month and collect truckloads of garbage. But this alone would not suffice to keep the space green and protected, with people continuing to take their environment for granted.

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