Sun Jan 19 15:04:18 UTC 2025: ## Karnataka Forest Minister Orders Crackdown on Plastic in National Parks
**Mysuru, January 19, 2025** – Karnataka’s Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment, Eshwar B. Khandre, has announced a two-phased crackdown on plastic waste in the state’s national parks and tiger reserves. The initiative follows a meeting with Forest Department officials on Sunday where the minister learned that significant amounts of plastic are already being collected from these protected areas.
The first phase will involve placing large bins at strategic locations with instructions for visitors to voluntarily dispose of plastic. The second phase will implement stricter checks and penalties for those found carrying single-use plastics. Currently, several ranges are already collecting over 5 kg of plastic waste daily from large bins.
Beyond addressing plastic pollution, Mr. Khandre also expressed concern over the increasing human-animal conflict. He instructed officials to develop a long-term plan to mitigate this issue, citing instances of leopards and elephants venturing into human habitats due to potential shortages of food and water within the forests. The minister also suggested introducing online ticket booking for the Ranganathittu bird sanctuary.
First Piper 