Plastic bottles for collecting pine resin threaten environmental damage, raise wildfire risk in U’kashi

SURENDRA PAL SINGH | Uttarkashi

At a time when the authorities are trying to minimise plastic garbage even in urban areas, used plastic bottles are being used to collect pine resin in the jungles of Uttarkashi. Earlier, metal containers were used to collect the resin.

Though the Central and State governments are undertaking various steps to decrease the use of plastic and resulting plastic waste, the jungles in Uttarkashi show a different scenario.  In the Danda Mazaf and other areas in the district, used plastic bottles are being used to collect resin from pine trees. Most of these are used bottles of soft drinks and bottled water. Earlier tin or other metal containers were used to collect resin from the pine trees. Local villagers state that these being replaced by plastic bottles not only raise the possibility of environmental damage with plastic waste now becoming common in forests, but the threat of forest fires also escalating due to the inflammable resin being collected in plastic bottles cannot be ignored. In various forest areas, the used and damaged plastic bottles are thrown in the woods which were earlier free from plastic waste.

When this correspondent tried to contact the divisional forest officer DP Baluni regarding the use of plastic bottles for collecting pine resin, he was unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts.