Very good to know that you made the most of a kayaking for pleasure and became a clean the waters movement and did not let the muck get you down. Citizens of the world have to be more responsible in not littering. The Delhi Metro is a prime example of how public spaces can remain spick and span in an otherwise polluted and dirty city (except Lutyens Delhi where the mighty live) .. what works there ? a sense of pride and belonging? some punitive measures .. CCTVs ? Dont know but of that works in an aggressive city like Delhi .. it should work in milder Goa or so I would imagine..... one tends to plog in beaches .. but then there is only some much a minority of environmentally educated people can do... how many seas and rivers must a man walk past and pretend that he is not responsible for the plastic floating there.. the answer my friend is not blowing in the wind or elsewhere .. apologies to peter paul and mary besides others
Loved the description of the stealthy tree crabs, Smriti :) So much resonance with both the wonder and horror that you describe.
I spent my early childhood in the Andamans and when I revisited the islands 2 decades later, was appalled to see surplus waste from ships that is dumped into the sea washed up on Cinque Island - uninhabited but for brand new sneakers, kindle chocolate and plastic strewn across the beach. It's sadly so commonplace now. Whether it is in the mountains at McLeodGanj or as you describe, along the backwaters in Goa.
Thank you for writing this (and pardon the long response) but the kind of tourism and callous treatment of other species and habitats is a subject close to my heart.
Please never apologise for a long response on my posts. I quite enjoy reading and learning. Heartbreaking to hear this is happening in Andaman’s. Havelock and Neil was pristine and plastic waste free in 2017 but if we think we can develop without planning then the result often is what we see and get disgusted by.
I now have sent this to 2 young people who plan to spend the Christmas weekend there, hopefully they will be at best join in or atleast not litter. Goa to me has always been about the beaches which are not my favourite nature spots, through Shashank's work I learnt about the mangroves and creeks - time to explore them too. Thank you so much for such engaging stimulating writing.
So seeing plastic, and food packing strewn amidst what are otherwise pristine settings drives me mad too. Where I live, there is a couple of mile long unused railway line that operates as a tree lined, woodland in the midst of the city. Many people walk, jog, bike through their daily, it's an epic oasis.
Despite the local authority rubbish pickers who operate regularly, those plastic bits, empty cans, half eaten takeway boxes and paper bags, and other things that don't belong end up here and there, disposed off carelessly by locals over the course of a day, typically younger people; sometimes it's the work of the foxes who are scrummaging through the bins for food at night.
On many a day walking my 5 year old to school or back, I am collecting bits in a bag I'll carry with me. I even got myself one of those picker up things which makes it easy to pick as you go. Another parent of two saw us one time, and was inspired enough to get the school to organize more of those picker uppers. There is now talk of a litter club being set up and for the school kids to lead the effort on a regular basis to keep this parkland clean. Point being, individuals ought to take personal responsibility for where they live, and you never know how that spark carries to somebody else.
Very good to know that you made the most of a kayaking for pleasure and became a clean the waters movement and did not let the muck get you down. Citizens of the world have to be more responsible in not littering. The Delhi Metro is a prime example of how public spaces can remain spick and span in an otherwise polluted and dirty city (except Lutyens Delhi where the mighty live) .. what works there ? a sense of pride and belonging? some punitive measures .. CCTVs ? Dont know but of that works in an aggressive city like Delhi .. it should work in milder Goa or so I would imagine..... one tends to plog in beaches .. but then there is only some much a minority of environmentally educated people can do... how many seas and rivers must a man walk past and pretend that he is not responsible for the plastic floating there.. the answer my friend is not blowing in the wind or elsewhere .. apologies to peter paul and mary besides others
Loved the description of the stealthy tree crabs, Smriti :) So much resonance with both the wonder and horror that you describe.
I spent my early childhood in the Andamans and when I revisited the islands 2 decades later, was appalled to see surplus waste from ships that is dumped into the sea washed up on Cinque Island - uninhabited but for brand new sneakers, kindle chocolate and plastic strewn across the beach. It's sadly so commonplace now. Whether it is in the mountains at McLeodGanj or as you describe, along the backwaters in Goa.
Thank you for writing this (and pardon the long response) but the kind of tourism and callous treatment of other species and habitats is a subject close to my heart.
Please never apologise for a long response on my posts. I quite enjoy reading and learning. Heartbreaking to hear this is happening in Andaman’s. Havelock and Neil was pristine and plastic waste free in 2017 but if we think we can develop without planning then the result often is what we see and get disgusted by.
So glad to know you are helping to remove plastic waste from the mangroves. All the best.
Thank you Sandhya Aunty <3
I now have sent this to 2 young people who plan to spend the Christmas weekend there, hopefully they will be at best join in or atleast not litter. Goa to me has always been about the beaches which are not my favourite nature spots, through Shashank's work I learnt about the mangroves and creeks - time to explore them too. Thank you so much for such engaging stimulating writing.
Thank you so much for reading my writing and commenting on it regularly ! It keeps me going to know you enjoy it :)
Hello there.
So seeing plastic, and food packing strewn amidst what are otherwise pristine settings drives me mad too. Where I live, there is a couple of mile long unused railway line that operates as a tree lined, woodland in the midst of the city. Many people walk, jog, bike through their daily, it's an epic oasis.
Despite the local authority rubbish pickers who operate regularly, those plastic bits, empty cans, half eaten takeway boxes and paper bags, and other things that don't belong end up here and there, disposed off carelessly by locals over the course of a day, typically younger people; sometimes it's the work of the foxes who are scrummaging through the bins for food at night.
On many a day walking my 5 year old to school or back, I am collecting bits in a bag I'll carry with me. I even got myself one of those picker up things which makes it easy to pick as you go. Another parent of two saw us one time, and was inspired enough to get the school to organize more of those picker uppers. There is now talk of a litter club being set up and for the school kids to lead the effort on a regular basis to keep this parkland clean. Point being, individuals ought to take personal responsibility for where they live, and you never know how that spark carries to somebody else.