Karnala bird sanctuary to be plastic-free

Navi Mumbai Karnala bird sanctuary in Panvel will soon get a bottle crushing machine.

Navi Mumbai Karnala bird sanctuary in Panvel will soon get a bottle crushing machine.

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Forest officials said they are taking steps to reduce the menace of plastic in the sanctuary.

Pradeep Chavan, forest official, Karnala bird sanctuary, said, “It becomes difficult to dispose a huge quantity of plastic bottles. With so many visitors coming to the sanctuary, dustbins are full of PET bottles.”

“We have started the process of procuring a bottle crushing machine. We have also reduced number of dustbins on the sanctuary premises to reduce plastic menace,” said Chavan.

While PET bottles and packaged food are allowed inside, officials instruct visitors to keep the area clean and not to throw any plastic items.

Officials have also appealed to visitors to collect whatever trash they get while way back from the sanctuary.

In a move to discourage visitors from getting plastic items inside the sanctuary, officials take a deposit of Rs100 against each plastic carried inside the sanctuary. People get the money back only if they come back with the same number of plastic bags they took inside.

The sanctuary is home to around 145 resident and 38 migratory birds. With the onset of winter many birds are being spotted at the sanctuary. Visitors will increase in the coming days as October to February is considered to be the best time to spot rare birds at the sanctuary.

Officials will be more vigilant and strict while implementing no-plastic rule inside the sanctuary.

Vikas Kale, a Nerul resident and birder, said, “Whenever I visit the sanctuary or any wetland, I ensure that I don’t leave behind any trash. I even get back those left by others.”

Locals from Apta village near Karnala bird sanctuary also keep a watch on tourists and trekkers.

Suresh Pradhan, 49, a resident of the village, said, “People from the village often go to Karnala fort to collect waste and also instruct others to keep the area clean. During monsoon and winters, we visit the fort area regularly to keep an eye on litter-bugs.”