Plastic waste caused the death of a pregnant deer and two elephants in an Indian village known as a pilgrimage destination.
A local court is pursuing legal action against those responsible for harmful garbage dumping and burning in the area.
What's happening?
As Onmanorama reported, the Periyar Tiger Reserve (West Division) deputy director informed the court about the wildlife deaths. In his report, he noted that the animals were observed eating plastic bags and other garbage left behind.
In addition to the animals that died from plastic waste ingestion, many other species, including monkeys, squirrels, and endangered birds, were found consuming the carelessly discarded waste.
The court held the Travancore Devaswom Board responsible for failing to remove excess garbage around an incinerator behind a hotel. The at-fault party violated the Wildlife (Protection) Act and faces legal action because of the vast plastic and toxic waste piles left behind.
Despite a single-use plastic ban in place, hotels and guests continued using plastic products and dumping them into food pits. The Devaswom Board set garbage on fire, further polluting the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
This area in India is near a popular pilgrimage site and trekking path. During the pilgrimage season, people generate around 24 tons of waste, including 7 tons of food waste daily. Limited and aging waste incinerators simply can't keep up with the amount of trash produced during the festival and pilgrimage season.
Why are plastic-related animal deaths significant?
Plastic pollution is an enormous problem in our world today, putting people, animals, plants, and ecosystems at significant risk.
Wild animals are especially vulnerable to improperly discarded waste because it harms their health and reduces their life expectancy. The impact of pollution on wildlife affects the global food chain as animals ingest dangerous materials in search of food.
Plastic pollution also has broader environmental implications, as trash breaks down into microplastics. These tiny plastic particles can stay in the environment for thousands of years and continue harming wildlife and ecosystems.
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Definitely 👍 What's being done to control plastic pollution?
In Sabarimala, India, the court imposed fines and penalties upon the organization responsible for waste removal and hotels that don't properly separate their waste. After two offenses, establishments will face forced closures for noncompliance.
The local trash collector is now clearing the waste area and has hired laborers to collect and remove discarded plastic. Hotels are strictly forbidden from directly dumping waste onto land or setting open fires to burn it.
In other places, organizations are using technology to divert trash and address floating plastic in our oceans. Meanwhile, single-use plastic bans are effective if properly enforced.
Where you live, you can protect wildlife from plastic pollution risks by using less plastic in all aspects of your life. Reducing plastic trash in our environment translates to a better life for wild animals and all of Earth's inhabitants.
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