INDIANANGLER

Hi Sandeep,
Just a quick question-what is being done about educating the people who visit these places, about plastic menace and biodegradeability? these are the biggest culprits after all! educated, sane people who dont give half a thought about dunking plastic ...the usual sign boards are never enough!
It is a good sign of the times that MNC's are taking their CSI very seriously and your volunteers are giving their time to clean up the plastics.But as long as the cleaning drive is in progress, you will find people littering.period. Now, if there were some teeth in anti littering laws -specifically for sanctuaries and biodiversity areas, would make your effort more worthwhile. This does not have to be in the ambit of IPCor Cr PC, but enforceable by the local DFO level...
Would it be prudent for you to ask the JLR and other authorities to enforce a 'no plastics ' drive? You do know them well and , most importantly, they know you mean business!
Would the same MNC's helping in cleaning up be prepared to help you out with :
"exchange poly bags, get paper bags ' counter or even get you a short movie to be played for the locals over the local cable operator?
You must carry the fight to the enemy!
Best
Axx

Hi Axx,

I just lost my detailed response to you. Will attempt to post tomorrow.

Meanwhile a happy new year to you and all those who are following this thread.

Cheers!

Sandeep

Hi Sandeep,
TOI, Delhi 2 Jan 08 reports:
Chattisgarh ban-violators may get jail
...any one violating the ban on poly bags will coming under the purview of 'prevention of food adulteration act 1954' with, jail upto 3 years and an additional fine...

Nice to know that anti littering laws have teeth!
Wish you good luck in covincing the authorities locals AND visitors to make the cauvery a plastic free zone.
Best
Axx

Hi,

Vijay and I camped at Monkey Pool on Dec.29th,2007. The same morning a team from Honeywell picked up 55 kg of plastic from Mutthatti. Anitha and I were the two volunteers from Clean and Green who co-ordinated this clean up trip.
The fishing was so so with no Mahseer above 3 lbs but the camping was fun as usual. The Forest Dept. 'barrier' did not prevent hoards of people from coming to the place. One family group with 2 small kids even camped for the night, despite my telling them that they were not authorised to do so and it could be dangerous. I have emailed my report to WASI and to the PCCF-WL.
At about 3 am on 30th morning we were visited by a 'cat'......the monkeys made such a racket up in the trees that we all woke up........realised what it could be........and went back to sleep.......it was very cold that night.

Need folks to fight for the sanctuary.
Sandeep

hi sandeep
i dont have words to say...........
but i can tell only one thing GREAT JOB................
keep going................
i know i can only praise your work right now and cant do anything else..........
but let me assure you that once im in india i will try to do whatever i can..............
my wishes are with u..........
regards
hozefa

Hi all,

About a year ago Sun Microsystems sent a group of volunteers to clean up Mutthatti, as a part of their Global Volunteer Program. The feedback from the participants was so positive that they have asked Clean and Green to arrange for another clean up this year ( April 26th,2008) where they expect 200 volunteers to join in. They have also agreed to pay for the bins and signboards.

Half the volunteers will go to Sangam and the other half to Mutthatti.

This will be the 4th Corporate sponsored program.

Clean and Green is not even an NGO, we are just a bunch of volunteers who CARE about our environment. We spend our money and give our time for the cause. We do not give up.

Why can't anglers in other parts of the world do the same?? Corporate sponsorship is possible and we have proved it.

We need action and not just lip sympathy.

Sandeep

Hi all,

The clean up on April 26th was at Sangam only. Over 200 kg of plastic was cleared. The local shop keepers were kept involved and educated on keeping the place plastic / litter free.

We now have a proposal from Honeywell (an earlier corporate sponsor) to conduct a Medical Camp at Mutthatti to help, support and involve the locals. This should help Clean and Green volunteers to move to a long term and self sustaining program to clean the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

Any suggestions guys??.........while you wait to visit the Cauvery before the next Mahseer fishing season?

Sandeep

Hi,

Just back from a clean up trip to Mutthatti. This was sponsored by Honeywell and 33 volunteers from their company + 4 from Clean and Green pitched in. 74 kg of plastic was collected and stuffed into sacks for Jungle Lodges' jeep to take it to Kanakpura for disposal.

The Range Forest Officer was there and some of the volunteers actually spoke to the locals who said that if bins were more convinently placed they would use them. They don't want to walk 50m to use the cement bins provided by the Forest Dept. !! We will now look for sponsors to provide cement ring bins.

Anglers may like to note that access to Monkey Pool, Hati Pool and other fishing spots up-stream of Bheemeshwari is blocked by the Forest Dept. A gate has been put up and it is locked.

The Forest Dept. has loads of "honge" and other saplings. Our group wants to do some tree plantation as well this monsoon with the help of the RFO.

Sandeep

Sandeep, I have been following your thread from the beginning. After your conversation with you yesterday, why dont you do something in the city of Bangalore. Take the Ulsoor lake. It is a mess. The contractor is not bothered of keeping the lake clean. He just wants to net fish for sale. Does he realise that the sewage contamination leads to high nitrate levels in the water? This could possibly lead to high contents of lead, mercury, arsenic etc levels prevalent in the fish. Has any body analyised the chemical contents prevalent in the fish harvested from Ulsoor lake? Could it be possible for your group, or for that matter, anyother group, to have the fish tested for human consumption.

Soree to have cut off our conversation yesterday.

The area around the Sangam also needs immediate care.

There is the presence of many pilgrims at Hyera, and, they have recently put up some sort of idols around a tree. Could we have them removed? Any suggestions?

Hi Sandeep
Does it mean no anglers will be allowed to camp at
monkey pool or hati pool?
Ravi

Hi,

Bobbee to respond to you first:
- The volunteers of Clean and Green choose to clean up our wilderness spots because they love Nature and care adequately to keep these places clean and more importantly Plastic Free.
- The problem in some of these spots is 'limited' and therefore, possible for a group of volunteers with no funding, to address and hopefully solve.
- The C & G volunteers are not anglers and therefore cannot empathise with the issues of Ulsoor Lake. There are other groups who work on such causes.

Ravi, I do not know the official position of the Forest Dept. to allow bonafide visitors (like angling guests of Jungle Lodges or WASI members) to visit, fish or camp at Monkey Pool and the stretch upstream of Bheemeshwari. I am trying to find out and will report my findings on this thread.

Sandeep

Sandeep please read my threazd again. Thanks. It has nothing to do with anglers etc etc. but conservation of a lake.

Hi,

The next clean up trip to Mutthatti is happening on Aug.30th,2008. This time WIPRO has sponsored the trip and we expect a busload of Wipro employees to participate. A team of 4 to 5 volunteers,including myself, from Clean and Green will lead this group.

Nandi Hills, a picnic spot near Bangalore ( of no interest to anglers) was the focus of attention of several like minded groups committed to a clean outdoor environment. Their 600 volunteer effort with support from the Establishment is posted on the following link:

http://cleannandihills.wordpress.com/20 ... -aug-2008/

Do take some time to go through it.

Sandeep

Great job you proud Indians.
Please let me know when I can be of help :)

Hi guys,

Another clean up trip happened yesterday. Will post the highlights soon.

Happened to meet Terry and Martin at Bheemeshwari on 16th and 17th Nov.08 and they appreciated the efforts of the Clean and Green volunteers to rid the sanctuary / river of the plastic.

The fishing was not great....will make another post under Mahseer fishing.

Sandeep

Hi,

I wonder if anyone is still in this thread.....but just in case you are, the details are:
- Date of clean up..... Nov.22nd 2008
-Place................Mutthatti
- Sponsor........ Wipro
- Plastic collected...............167 kg.
- Disposal for re-cycling........ Jungle Lodges and Resorts.
- Re-cycling agency in Bangalore...... K K Plastics.

Volunteers from Clean and Green co-ordinated this clean up drive. I was not one of them this time.

Outrigorsandeep

Great going Sandeep. And yes I think we all keep an eye on this thread. It is very inspiring. Keep up the good work. And I will try and live a cleaner life.

Sandeep,

Keep the good work going. We all are with you.

Regards,

Ali.

hey this threatd is very well alive and i do check it frequently.....
one more thing to add
its been quite some time that i have stopped throwing plastic and i make sure that it only goes in dustbin........
though i cant physically help you clean but im trying my little bit in my own way to help environment.....

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your responses. I am glad that some of you have choosen to change the way you think and act on keeping our environment / our planet clean.

Segregate your plastic waste, do not litter....each one of us have to do our bit.

Glad to know this thread is not dead.

OutrigorSandeep

Count me in for the next Cleaning trip

Ali.

Hi,

The next clean up trip sponsored by Oracle is scheduled for Sept.12th,2009. If any angler from Bangalore would like to visit Mutthatti to witness/participate in the action,do send me a PM.

Sandeep

We sure need more guys like you Sandeep.
Keep on the good work.
Ravi

Hello,
On Sept.12th,2009 a team of volunteers(50 +) from Oracle went to Mutthatti for the clean up. 192 kg of plastic was collected and packed for removal from the sanctuary. Jungle Lodges vehicle would bring this back to Bangalore for re-cycling.
Four cement ring garbage bins were placed around the picnic spot and painted in the Forest Dept.colours.These bins were paid for by Oracle.
The forest department has blocked access to the Monkey Pool camp site,hence that place was very clean and plastic free when I went to inspect it on Sept.3rd.
Sandeep

Awsome stuff Sandeep

Thank you Sandeep. God bless!

Great Stuff Sandee... Kudos to the team and yourself...

Everybody is doin thier bit , Some visible some invisible.