Madikeri: Due to the ban on the sale and use of plastic bottles within Madikeri city limits, there was a lower turnout of visitors for Madikeri Dasara compared to previous years. Even the responsible conduct of street vendors reduced the volume of waste—including plastic—collected in Madikeri city during this year’s Dasara.City municipal commissioner Ramesh said the total amount of waste has decreased by 25% compared to the previous year. Approximately eight tractor-loads of waste were collected.The fact that not even a single sack of plastic bottles was found is a direct result of the ban on plastic bottles (with a capacity of less than 2 ltr) within the city. This ban was imposed within the Madikeri city limits just last year. In the previous years before the ban, hundreds of waste plastic bottles would be found the day after Dasara. While 5,000 to 6,000 bottles were recovered last year, this year, not even a single sack of plastic bottles was found. Also, a small number of liquor bottles were found in the district stadium parking area.Last year, 60 sanitation workers spent five days cleaning the city after Dasara, collecting 25 tonnes of waste. This year, however, the cleaning operation was completed in just one and a half days, with the total volume of waste collected being 25% lower. The waste collected consisted largely of plastic materials used for items such as children’s toys. Some vendors who had secured tenders even took the initiative to collect their own waste in bags and remove it, he said.Ramesh said the gathering decreased and led to a lower quantity of waste; in addition to the ban on plastic bottles, the prohibition on the use of loudspeakers after 10pm and rain also lead to a decrease in waste.
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