Nandankanan National Park,

A Pride Paradise Under

Plastic Garbage

Kumar Deepak

(Environmentalist)

Introduction:

Established in 1960 Opened for public in 1979 Area covering 400 Hectares of Chandaka Forest Including the Kanjia Lake, an area of 54 Hectare Place: Bhubaneswar, Orissa

Date: 6 October 2012

Visited the Nanadankanan National Park… It is a wonderful ecosystem to visit & Its my privilege to visit such green paradise in the heart of the Bhubaneswar, the Capital city of the State of Orissa…I appreciate the Management over some of the aspects of structural arrangements…Its been one of the most popular Natural Ecosystem comprising the Chandaka Forest & Kanjia Lake…Kanjia Lake is the favorite Nauka Vihar(Boating) site for the Visitors…The Pictorial Hording was the center of attraction for me…This was so easily specified the Waste on the basis of its Nature of Biodegradability, Non-Biodegradability & others…Those who will carry polythene Bag inside Premise of the Park, would be fined with Rs. 100…

It can satisfy the experts those are working to reduce plastic waste in not only such natural habitat but also other places as well…But as I stepped forward to enter inside the Ecological Habitat the mismanagement of the National Park Authority was completely exposed…It was disappointing to observe the pathetic state of waste management within the premises of the National park itself…The area passing the Toy Train Track & alongside of the Kanjia lake having a long wetland areas covered under a huge amount of Plastic Waste…The side along the Lake side of the Toy Train Track is supposed to be the heaven ground of dumping of such huge amount of plastic waste…There are some expressive pictures, would express the malign story of mismanagement & mal-administrative conduct within the premise of the Nandankanan…

It’s the pathetic & disturbing site to watch…The Right side of the toy track was completely trashed with the plastic garbage…& this was intentionally being done…The entire garbage which is produced within the premise of the National Park is being committed all over the right side of the toy train track…When I asked some of the employee working within the premise of the National Park, were unable to respond…When I asked,”why such huge amount of Plastic Waste is not being carried away daily outside the premise of the Nandankanan?”Despite of the fact I had observed such amount of plastic garbage within the premise, they were defending themselves on oral ground…It was amazing to observe that thousands of Visitors including some of the State Officers visit the Nandankanan, they won’t even resist such autocratic nature of the National Park Authority…

Consequences of such Plastic Waste:

• Nearby Left side is the habitat of Peacocks & some of the local birds under the lethal impact of such plastic waste.

• Right side is Kanjia lake & a long wetland areas which is severely under threat of dispersion of such plastic dumps due to wind & even such dispersion is being going on with an extremely rapid rate.

• Suicidal for the wetland areas.• Suicidal for the Endangered species those are being

nourished within the premise.

Generation of Plastic Garbage:

• Civic unawareness

• Administrative Mismanagement

• Mishandling of Plastic Waste

• Deficit strategy of proper & Sustainable Plastic Waste Management

• Lack of Efficient & intellect officials & Employees

• Absent of Green Volunteers within the premise

• Eco-Tourists easily carry the plastic with themselves, no prohibition to stop entering such plastic trashes.

• No Effective strategy to punish the plastic carriers or tourists carrying the plastic bags.

Objective of this slide:

I have no malafide intention to malign the pride Ecological Tourist destination of the State of Orissa…What I have observed such state of heavy plastic waste mismanagement, might bring serious disappointments to the visitors like me…

I warmly pledge to the people to obey the rule of conduct & regulations about carrying plastic bags within the premise… The authority should appoint volunteers in an efficient numbers to disseminate such massages to the visitors inside the Nandankanan…

The National Park Authority should take stringent actions against those violating the rules…

The Authority should facilitate daily disposal of the plastic waste generated within the premises of the National Park…

Pledge:

Lets join from today to protect & conserve such ecological emblem of pride from such serious anthropogenic intervention…Our civic sense would bring a dynamic transition & it would cooperate the State Authority wherever such National Park irrespective of Administrative Mismanagement, to create ZERO-PLASTIC Ground…

The Authority should build up a proper plan structure to create an environment of Zero-Plastic Ground…They should facilitate daily transportation of such plastic waste outside of the premises to the Recycling sites…

Go Green!