Yeoor will be plastic-free soon, says forest department

Forest officials claim that Yeoor will be plastic-free from next month, as the forest department is set to form an 11-member eco-development team to implement its

Forest officials claim that Yeoor will be plastic-free from next month, as the forest department is set to form an 11-member eco-development team to implement its plastic-free initiative.

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The team will check if the visitors are carrying any plastic items at the entrance. Those who want to carry any plastic item will have to deposit ₹100 or more depending on the amount of plastic they are carrying; the deposit will be returned to the visitors when they leave if take all the plastic out of Yeoor.

“The team is likely to be formed by next month. Visitors venturing in Yeoor forest will be checked for plastic items while locals will be given identification cards, which they need to show to be allowed to carry permissible amount of plastic inside the forest area. The forest department had sent this proposal for approval to higher authorities last year, and it is likely to be sanctioned soon,” said Rajendra Pawar, range forest officer, Yeoor range of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).

The forest official added, “At present, we have decided to charge visitors ₹100 for carrying plastic items. The amount of fine and deposit may change once the team is formed. The team members, which will consist forest officials and locals, will be present at the entry gate of Yeoor and will keep a record of plastic items, if visitors want to carry it inside (unless it is important). If any plastic item is found missing on their return, we will deduct the fine from the deposit.”

Environmentalists from Thane have been demanding a move like this for a long time in a bid to curb the usage of plastic in the forest area. Activists also demanded that strict action be taken against hotels at Yeoor forest for generating maximum garbage, including plastic waste.

“The decision to form the team was announced following the demand from nature lovers and environmentalist from Thane. Besides, forest officials should also keep an eye on the disposal of waste generated by locals, especially restaurants, hotels and clubs, as many a times the waste generated at these establishments have been dumped in the forest due to lack of garbage collection vans,” said Rohit Joshi, an environmentalist from Thane.