Girnar parikrama numbers plunge over strict plastic ban

RAJKOT: The annual Lili Parikrama (circumambulation of Mount Girnar) witnessed a dramatic reduction of 5 lakh pilgrims this year, with the authorities attributing the fall to the stringent enforcement of the plastic ban, which deterred, among others, 'mava' (tobacco-laced betelnut) addicts the most.
For many years, nearly 60% of the tonnes of plastic litter cleared from the 36-km parikrama route inside the Girnar Sanctuary, the abode of Asiatic lions, consisted of plastic wrappers of mava.
The forest officials and the Junagadh district administration set up a 300-strong anti-plastic squad after being severely reprimanded by the Gujarat High Court over the enforcement of the plastic ban in the Girnar eco-sensitive zone (ESZ).
Intensive frisking was conducted at the four entry points, leading many pilgrims to abandon their plans when mava packets were discovered in their bags. Additionally, the authorities widely publicised the anti-plastic measures through social media, newspapers, and news channels, discouraging potential participants who couldn't do without mavas. The three-day event ended on Nov 14.
This year, the parikrama saw 7.15 lakh attendees compared to 12.35 lakh last year. While the number of pilgrims from Maharashtra remained steady, there was a significant decline in participants from various parts of Saurashtra.
Akshay Joshi, deputy conservator of forests, Junagadh, told TOI, "When we denied entry to people carrying mava, many chose to return from the entry points. Other factors, such as the ongoing harvesting season, also contributed to the lower turnout. We believe that mava addicts avoided the event, fearing they wouldn’t be allowed to bring their stash inside."
Joshi said it was not possible to check every person, so many did manage to sneak in the mavas. "Post-parikrama, 90% of the total plastic waste collected inside the forest area was mava wrappers," he said. Some 400 to 50 kg of total garbage, including plastic, cloth bags, paper cups, and others, was cleared.
A total of 200 first offence reports (FOR) were registered under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 against those violating plastic bans, and a total fine of Rs 3.25 lakh was collected. Those penalised included vendors, pilgrims, and operators of anna kshetras (free food kitchens) found using plastic.