Garbage pile up ruins river ecosystem of Hogenakkal

A coracle stacked with packets of chips and cans of soft drinks wades towards another full of tourists, aiming for a good sale. What, however, looks imminent is that once empty, the wrappers and soft drink cans or bottles will be flung into the river. All this is in a ‘Plastic-Free Zone’, or so the board states, in Hogenakkal.

Undeterred by the soaring mercury and the oppressive humidity of the rocky terrain, Hogenakkal teems with tourists. With their inflow, the river ecosystem of Hogenakkal is being ruined due to absence of regulations.

Hogenakkal falls under the Koothapadi panchayat in Hogenakkal Panchayat Union. According to official sources, this is the highest revenue making Panchayat in the district. Yet, waste management and regulations appear to be nobody’s business.

Though the panchayat is responsible for garbage collection, it is unable to do so during the peak season, says a revenue official. But, it is in the peak season that the garbage is generated and that’s when the system is ill-equipped, the official adds.

The local community, whose livelihood depends on tourism, is resistant to change. Shops sell chips packets, plastic bottles, shampoo and oil sachets, soaps and powder to name a few; masseurs pollute the streams on the promise of oil massage to tourists, and tourists dump shampoo sachets and soap packs into the streams. This season, coracle shops have also come up.

The check-post at the entrance of Hogenakkal reserve forest, 10 km from the falls, is supposed to disallow tourists from carrying plastic materials.

But, with shops located right on the rocks, a few metres from the falls, generation of plastic waste inside the falls area is unhindered. Enforcement can happen only through participation of and coordination between all departments, says the official.

The Forest Department has installed a reverse osmosis plant that gives a litre of water for a rupee. According to District Forest Officer Tirumal, the aim is to provide clean drinking water with minimal use of plastics. People could refill rather than buy more plastic bottles.

For now, Hogenakkal is ‘plastic free’ only on the boards placed at strategic points. Elsewhere, it is plastic dump all the way right into the river, spoiling the majesty of the falls.