Ooty gears up to ban single-use plastic from August 15

Ooty, one of the most sought after hill stations in India, is fast marching toward its goal of becoming a plastic-free zone. As per the reports, this ban will be effective from August 15 onward.

This iconic hill destination in Tamil Nadu attracts lakhs of visitors every year, thereby attracting tons of plastic litter as well. The need of the hour is to encourage people for responsible tourism, which means such a measure will not only benefit the place, but will also help people in the long run.
Ooty falls under the Nilgiri District Administration, and has already banned the sale of single-use plastic, such as soft drinks and food items packed in plastic wrappers, plastic water bottles. This ban not only applies in Ooty, but also along the highways that lead to the district’s major towns.
Reportedly, the Nilgiri District Administration imposed the ban after the Madras High Court passed the order last month. The said order directed the Collector to rule out the possibility of entry of all kinds of plastic packages into the district. The court order came after a petition was filed by the locals of the region, who alleged that the hill station is gradually turning into a garbage dump, with tons of visitors leaving behind plastic waste.
Also, following the court order, the district administration has banned single-use plastic items beyond the entry points of the Nilgiris, such as Kunjapanai, Burliar, Pattavayal, Thalur, Nadugani, Nambiar, Solladi, Kakkanallah, and Geddai. Most interestingly, visitors will also not be allowed to take any banned plastic items along with them.