Coimbatore: In a shocking discovery, volunteers who were cleaning up the Forest Road stretch between Mettupalayam and Kotagiri collected 17 sacks of liquor bottles strewn along a road that is also frequented by wild animals.
Coimbatore: In a shocking discovery, volunteers who were cleaning up the Forest Road stretch between Mettupalayam and Kotagiri collected 17 sacks of liquor bottles strewn along a road that is also frequented by wild animals.
The cleaning campaign was jointly organised by members of the Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust (WNCT) and SNS Rajalakshmi Arts and Science College, along with the Forest Department. Finding such a large pile of liquor bottles in one of the most important wildlife corridors in the Western Ghats shocked the volunteers.
According to sources, the Forest Road bisects the Kallar Elephant Corridor which is one of the oldest identified corridors in India. It is the first obstacle for elephants in the corridor that connects a population of almost 7000 elephants distributed across the States of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
Despite being an important stretch of forest that sees the movement of wild animals including elephants, tigers, leopards, hyenas, gaurs and deer along with smaller mammals, the road is reportedly being misused by the public in many ways.
While jogging continues, speeding vehicles also pose a threat to the animals that cross the road to reach larger habitats. With many vehicles taking the Forest Road to reach Ooty and Kotagiri, regular stopovers by tourists has been a menace for animals. People also use the area as 'open air bars' and throw away liquor bottles on the roadside which is a major threat for wild animals.
“When elephants step on such bottles, the glass pieces get embedded and cause serious injuries. It invariably leads to the death of the animal since the animal cannot walk any further,” said M Sirajdeen, Coordinator of WNCT, Coimbatore. He further added that the Forest Department should take necessary measures to prevent tourists and local lads sitting by the wayside, during evening hours.
Meanwhile, officials from the Mettupalayam Forest Department have claimed that a special team would be formed to monitor people movement in the area. The team that was involved in the cleaning campaign collected more than 75 bags of wastes which included plastic and other materials. They were later transported to a recycling unit nearby.