A self-sustainable model to ensure a plastic-free tourist destination in Rameswaram Island of Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu is doing wonders.
In less than a year, the eco-development committee (EDC)-run-plastic checkposts have been successful in curbing marine plastic pollution.
UNIQUE TOLL CHECKS
The Plastic Check Post workers check all passing vehicles for plastics. They replace the tourists’ plastic bags with eco-friendly free cloth bags.
These “plastic monitors” are positioned every 2 km.
They have made the model self-sustainable by charging an environmental fee of Rs 20 for every four-wheeler.
MAN WITH MISSION
The brain behind this unique endeavour to keep one of the 12 Jyotirling site’s clean is of 2017-batch IFS officer Jagdish S. Bakan, the Wildlife Warden and DFO in Ramanathapuram.
Mr. Jagdish S. Bakan got the idea of Plastic Check Posts during a meeting of ‘Green Rameswaram Project’ when he was asked to do something about the increasing plastic trash at this beautiful spiritual retreat.
Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Mr Bakan said, “The initiative was started in June, 2022. when I was asked to control plastic pollution.”
After the opening of the Rameswaram – Dhanushkodi – Arichanmunai Road, there was a huge influx in the tourist population and the plastic waste just burgeoned affecting the marine environment on this island strip.
“We have set up the plastic check post at the start of the 22km-long strip of Rameswaram,” he said.
SOURCE OF LIVELIHOOD
The check posts through their community-based governance have linked livelihood with Biodiversity conservation.
Fifty-nine direct green jobs and hundreds of indirect green jobs were created by this model. The alternatives to plastics, cloth bags, are provided by a local women’s self-help group (SHGs). These women get Rs 5 rupees per bag.
The EDC that operates the check posts is a 10-member body that coordinates with the Forest Department.
Mr Bakan is proud of the self-sustainable model. “No separate fund had to be created for this. The money for the salaries of the workers comes out of environmental fees and sale of the plastic, which is used for road construction.
“We do not need external support, everything about these check posts is community operated, so the department only supervises, it does not have to deploy its own manpower,” Mr. Bakan added.
REMOVE AND RECYCLE
Since this initiative started, 26,800 kg of plastic has been collected and 11 km of road has been constructed with shredded plastic material.
Mr. Bakan said the plastic collected is sent to the Rural Development Department. The plastic is
shredded in the gram panchayat units and sent to other departments. The EDC generates a revenue of Rs 10 per kg of shredded plastic.
IMPACT
The Ramsar site of Marire Biosphere Reserve and the beach in the area is now plastic-free.
This has only made the tourists happier as it has enhanced their experience.
In the last 10 months, 17.8 lakh tourists have been checked and given cloths bags for use by the EDC.
More than 4,220 species in Gulf of Mannar will benefit from this exercise.
