The polythene and plastic menace

The introduction of polythene and plastics have been responsible for the pollution of the country as a whole as they are widely used everywhere. Not only have they desecrated the environment, but they have also created health issues for animals too. Wild elephants and cattle move into garbage dumps and devour food wrapping dumped with other rubbish. These destructive plastics have polluted the oceans as well affecting fish and sea mammals.

Before plastic and polythene were introduced to Sri Lanka, brown paper bags and newspapers wrapping were widely used in sales outlets. These were easily disposed of without any damage to the environment. I remember even peanuts, galsiyambala etc. were given in kadalagottas and mango, veralu or ambarella achcharu dispensed in a leaf made into gottas. Even if carelessly thrown by the wayside, they did not harm to the environment as they disintegrated very quickly.

When the co-operative system was functioning well, people used to carry a reed bag called the saagatha malla to take home their purchases. There were no polythene bags then. Dry rations were parceled in newspaper gottas of various sizes depending on the quantities bought. They were easily disposable and did not harm the environment.

The tourist attractions in the highland areas such as the World’s End, Ella, and the animal and bird sanctuaries at that time were all free of discarded polythene and plastic items unlike today. Also, people were more civic minded then about keeping the environment clean and did not dump waste in the areas they visited. I remember how clean the way to Adam’s Peak was then. There were only a few cigarette butts thrown here and there. Visitors to these places were able to drink from any stream or spring as the water was very clean unlike at present.

The beaches right round the island are now full of polythene and plastic waste strewn by visitors and some places are a real eyesore. Those days the beaches were very clean except maybe for scatterings by stray dogs and crows.

A large number of wild elephants and other animals have suffered much with some succumbing to polythene and plastics consumed while rummaging for food in rubbish dumps. There have been a number of animals and fish living in the oceans too who have had problems after consuming plastic and polythene thrown haphazardly into the sea by non-civic minded persons.

There are many who travel in luxury vehicles who discard their garbage on the roadside without any consideration for the environment or the people. It is time the police, along with public health inspectors, apprehend a few of them and mete out punishment as a deterrent to others.

It is time that the people are educated to be more civic minded with a view to keeping the environment clean. This should be done in schools as it was done in the good old days where we learnt the fundamentals of being civic minded from our teachers.

HM NISSANKA WARAKAULLE