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 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

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

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.

An interesting article on plastic and what we can do to reduce the impact of plastics on the environment.

https://www.itsafishthing.com/plastic-in-the-ocean/

I was in the US last month down in Houston and i was shocked to see the amount of litter that anglers there leave behind especially on the lakes where there is no charge to fish. It was really disgusting, plastic wrapping, fishing line, plastic bottles. It frankly took me aback however on the lakes on nature preserves where they charged in entrance fee it was different. I guess it is the "type" of crowd the place attracts...

On a Tarpon fishing charter the guide was very cautious and even put the tiniest bit of fishing line that he trimmed back into his pocket to dispose of properly.