It’s that time of the year when some of the most picturesque seasonal and perennial waterfalls inside Goa’s forests come to life. And so it’s natural that footfalls to these pristine places only increase. But, sadly, the footprints left behind by visitors in the form of plastic and glass bottles, paper plates and other forms of wastes are choking not only the forests, but also the animals, who feed innocently on what’s left behind. The unsuspecting animals end up feeding on plastics and paper plates laced with food.rThe quantum of waste one can see while trekking inside a forest, goes on to show that the forest department and the agencies concerned aren’t doing enough to contain the perennial menace. The anti-plastic agenda set by the Chief Minister seems to have not percolated down to the people in the departments concerned who are supposed to guard and maintain the forests. There may be well-meaning officers in the forest department, but their hands are tied for want of more manpower.rMere anti-plastic rhetoric will not work and the government will have to assimilate the ground reality, look into requirements of the forest department and come up with a structured plan. And once the plan is in place, execute it with the sharpness it deserves, even if that means imposing hefty fines on those found littering. Our forests breathe for us, so in all humility let us allow them to breathe better.
