Courtallam to go plastic-free from Feb 1

Madurai: Rattled by the tonnes of plastic accumulating in Tenkasi district every tourist season in Courtallam, the forest department has come up with an action plan to make the area around its various waterfalls a plastic-free zone from Feb 1. A fine of Rs500 will be imposed on those selling prohibited plastic and those carrying it for the first time, while repeated offenders will be charged more. "Around 250kg to 1.5 tonnes of plastic used to be collected in the district every season. We observed this plastic accumulation in Old Courtallam, Five Falls, and a huge accumulation near Main Falls," R Rajmohan, district forest officer (DFO) in Tenkasi, told TOI. A joint enforcement and monitoring team will be formed as part of the "plastic-free Courtallam" action plan. Officials from the forest department, local bodies, police, and the town panchayat will be part of this.The department will mandate use of reusable or biodegradable materials, and plans to introduce plastic deposit return systems besides promoting use of drinking water refill stations. Tourists will be barred from carrying 1-litre PET bottles; instead, they will promote the use of reusable plastic bottles like those in Kodaikanal. Plastic checking points will be set up at all major entry points of Courtallam and surrounding waterfalls to check whether tourists carry prohibited plastic material, including entry routes from Tenkasi, Sengkottai, and Rajapalayam, with the involvement of the police, revenue, town panchayat, and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board officials."We will create awareness among visitors, shopkeepers, school and college students, and the public to avoid plastic in Courtallam and the Western Ghats area of Tenkasi. We are giving until February a transition period to switch to alternatives. Shopkeepers selling plastic will be informed about this initiative, and alternatives are being suggested," said Rajmohan. In the third week of Jan, they plan to conduct rallies, poster campaigns, public outreach activities, and a mini marathon to promote plastic-free tourism. "After the successful implementation of this action plan, we are planning to implement it all over the district," he said.