“Let’s begin with the boundaries”, “Volunteers, please collect your gloves and bags from here”, “Can you please pass me the leaf rake?”, “Would you look at the number of bags that are full... already!” Such were the voices that filled the air around the Nanmangalam Reserve Forest at the break of dawn on June 25.
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department in association with Save Earth for Next Generation (SENG) organised its 18th clean-up.
According to the organisers, the clean-up activity was initiated in 2012, and this is the first clean-up at Nanmangalam Forest, post-Vardah.
Over 500 volunteers, which included school and college students, IT professionals and families turned up for the Sunday morning event. Even children aged four to six were proudly brandishing their gloves and bags before they joined the rest of the group.
One could even see motorists and passersby on the Velachery – Tambaram Main Road slowing down as they passed the forest. The green-lung of the region, overlooked by them during their daily commute, was unusually bustling with energy and enthusiasm today. Armed with gloves, garden rakes and garbage bags, the volunteers made heads turn as they began clearing the litter strewn over the fringes of the forest.
Open dumpyard
Sprawling across 320 hectares, the national forest is inhabited by 163 species of birds and 18 species of snakes.
Over the years, rampant littering around the periphery of the forest by residents, motorists and shopkeepers have robbed it of much of its charm. The absence of proper fencing along the boundaries and the devastation caused during cyclone Vardah left the forest susceptible to further dumping of waste.
The garbage, which consisted mainly of household waste, construction debris and alcohol bottles, was collected and segregated. The collected garbage was then disposed of by transferring it to the government-authorised dumpyard, said the organisers. Recyclable plastic bottles were taken to recycling units.
“The reserve forest is not only has a rich biodiversity of flora and fauna but also provides fresh air and adds an aesthetic value to the otherwise mundane landscape. Unfortunately, being so close to the central part of city, the place has been turned into an open dumpyard. It is thus important to create awareness among people and help preserve the forest in its pristine state,” said Nishanth Ravi, founder of SENG.
Boundary walls
To check on encroachments, a proposal to construct boundary walls along the forest has been made and it awaits the approval of the Forest Department. SENG also plans to install signboards and other information boards around the forest premises to sensitise the locals and visitors about the need to preserve the forest and restore it to its old glory.
For details on the next clean-up, visit SENG’s Facebook page.
