Teams comprising officials from the Tourism and Ports departments and the Tourism police have launched checks on houseboats in Alappuzha to prevent the dumping of plastic into Vembanad Lake.
The inspections are part of the Vembanad Lake rejuvenation project, an initiative of the Alappuzha district administration to rejuvenate and conserve the lake, a Ramsar site and the second-largest wetland system in India.
“Our aim is to prevent plastic from being dumped into the lake. The initial round of checks has been completed and more will follow. We are creating awareness among the houseboat crew on the environmental hazards of throwing plastic into the water. As the next step, a penalty will be imposed on houseboats found dumping plastic into the lake. Besides houseboats, checks will also be conducted in establishments and houses on the banks of the lake,” said an official.
Awareness programmes
Awareness programmes are also being conducted for fishers and people living along the shores of the lake on the importance of conserving the water body.
Recently, volunteers removed more than 22 tonnes of plastic waste from the lake and other waterbodies as part of large-scale plastic clean-up drives organised in connection with the rejuvenation project. In the initial phase of the campaign, 12 tonnes of plastic was collected in January. The first phase covered Alappuzha and Cherthala municipalities as well as Kainakary, Aryad, Muhamma, Panavally, Mannancherry, Arookutty, Perumbalam, Chennam Pallipuram, Thycattussery and Thanneermukkom grama panchayats.
Volunteers removed another 9.23 tonnes of plastic in the second phase of the drive held last week, which covered Ezhupunna, Kodamthuruthu, Pattanakkad, Thuravoor, Pulinkunnu, Neelamperoor, Champakulam, Veliyanad, Ramankary, Thakazhi, Arookutty, Veliyanad and Neelamperoor grama panchayats.
Officials said that 10 lakh fingerlings would be released in a phased manner to boost fish stocks in the lake.
