We have beautiful scenic beauty all around us, but looking keenly, they are all covered with food packages, plastic bottles, and whatnot.
Despite numerous warning signs and boards that say, “don’t throw garbage here,” people are reluctant to understand the need to keep places clean. But a national park in Thailand has found the perfect solution to this problem.
Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site widely known for its lush forests and diverse wildlife, has taken an unusual step towards controlling garbage.
“Your Trash- We’ll Send It Back To You”
The park has begun sending trash back to its litterers with a polite note stating, “You forgot these things at Khao Yai National Park,” to remind people that littering in public places is a punishable offence.
Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, posted a series of pictures on Facebook regarding the new step. He posted a picture of a trash-filled box that was ready to be shipped with the caption-
“Your trash- we’ll send it back to you.”
Apart from sending the garbage back, an amount of 500,000 Thai Baht or Rs. 11,67,761.50 will be fined on the litterer with up to five years in prison.
Also Read: Watch: 5 Indian Environmentalists Who Are Working To Make The World A Better Place
The officials traced polluters by taking address details from the camping equipment rental forms. To make the process easier, people will be allowed entry in the park only after registering their address.
This step has been applauded by the director of the tourism authority of Thailand, Charinya Kiatlapnachai. He said, “We applaud Khao Yai National Park and the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment for their commitment to maintaining the beauty and well-being of our country’s natural resources.”
Why Such Extreme Measures?
Khao Yai National Park is the oldest national park in Thailand that is rich in waterfalls, flora, and fauna. According to the Bangkok Post, approximately 1,56,574 visitors left more than 45,406 kg of waste in the park over a busy new-year week in 2016.
Such large amounts of waste can not only degrade the environment of the park, but it is also dangerous for animals.
Looking at the current scenario of tourist places in India that are being littered by people, I believe that such extreme measures are a must to keep litterers at bay and to protect beautiful places from becoming a garbage dump.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Indian Express, BBC, NDTV + More
Find the blogger: @mitali_pk
This post is tagged under: Thailand, Thailand national park, Khao Yai National park, park sends garbage back to tourist, litterers, tourist receiving garbage, Thailand park, sending garbage back to tourists, visitors to national park, UNESCO heritage site, how to keep clean
