'Mission Clean Kawal': TS launches cleanliness drive to make parks, forests plastic-free

Hyderabad: The Telangana forest department has launched a cleanliness drive in an attempt to make forests, protected areas, and urban forest parks in Telangana completely plastic-free. On the occasion of Earth Day, "Mission Clean Kawal" was launched in Kawal Tiger Reserve.

As part of the initiative, about a thousand kg of plastic and other garbage were collected from the forest areas.

The forest department has been successfully collecting and disposing of garbage at the Amrabad Tiger Reserve on Srisailam Road (over 65 km) for the last few years and sending it for recycling. With this, the Amrabad forest area, on both sides of the road, has now become clean. The forest department has decided to follow the same approach in other areas as well.

Similarly, garbage collection will be conducted across the state at various urban parks and zoos as well.

Garbage collection in all forest areas will be done in stages by setting up special teams and recycling points, sorting waste (segregation of waste material), and transferring them to the processing unit. The scheme is also likely to provide some employment to the locals who depend on the forests for their livelihood.

The forest department has appealed to passers-by to act responsibly. It has also requested the public to not discard plastic bottles, wrappers, other rubbish, and cigarette butts in forest areas. Everyone should be aware of the dangers posed by plastics to forests and wildlife and the threat posed to the environment.

The department officials said the number of visitors to tourist spots, viewpoints, waterfalls, and forest urban parks has been increasing day by day, which has led to a rise in plastic waste in the forests.

The forest department has called for the promotion of plastic-free, responsible eco-tourism (responsible eco-tourism), which requires the cooperation of all sections of the community and voluntary organisations.