Garbage ghat

The monsoons bathe the breathtakingly beautiful Chorlaghats. But they also bring in its wake a different flood. Tourists fromKarnataka and Maharashtra who do a very unfair trade off. They take in thebeauty and leave behind their garbage- plastic packets, chicken bones, liquorand mineral water bottles.

This picnic spots dotted with little water falls and lovelywoods is turning into a garbage dump

Last year more than a truck load of plastic waste wascollected over a period of three days by Swami Vivekanand Paryavaran JagrutiBrigade. The Brigade conducted the same drive recently too. On learning aboutthe nuisance caused by picnickers, the forest department has now decided to putrestrictions in the area.

Additional Principal Conservator of Forest Richard D'Souzaand former chief secretary of Goa Sanjay Srivastava visited the area recently."Tourists who visit this part of the wildlife area should enjoy theambience and also keep the area clean,” D’Souza said.

Namdev Parodkar a volunteer of the Swami Vivekanand AwarnessBrigade Keri, Sattari recently submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister ManoharParrikar apprising him about the seriousness of garbage problem at Chorla ghat.He has urged the government to take immediate measures to stop the nuisance.

Since 1999, Chorla ghat was included in Mhadei wildlifesanctuary. Paresh Parab who is acquainted with the Mhadei wildlife sanctuaryhas plans to curtail garbage problems and nuisance created by tourists.

A well-known social worker and environmentalist RajendraKerkar disclosed that Chorla was a habitat for tigers and other herbivorousanimals. The non-biodegradable garbage dumped in the area creates adverseeffect on animals that are living in it, he added. He further stated thatVagueri is also a part of Chorla ghat, which is a beautiful hill station.

“The panchayat is bound to take steps to keep the area cleanand look into the garbage problems at Chorla,” said Jivbarao Rane, the sarpanchof Keri. A resolution to maintain cleanliness in areas around Chorla ghat wasrecently taken in a gram sabha, he added.