Green tag for six tourism destinations in Munnar

Munnar hill station's six green tourism destinations ensure compliance with green protocol through clean-up drives and waste management initiatives.

Six destinations in the Munnar hill station, Munnar Hydel Park, Upcycle Park, Botanical Garden, Rose Garden, Children’s Park, and Eravikulam National Park (ENP), have been declared green tourism centres.

Munnar panchayat secretary G.P. Rajkumar says officials at these destinations have been directed to ensure that green protocol is complied with.

“Recently, the panchayat conducted a mega clean-up drive and collected over 55 tonnes of waste from the hill station. Haritha Karma Sena volunteers in the panchayat are continuing the initiative to ensure that the panchayat is free of waste,” he says.

“The Munnar panchayat has also been declared a green panchayat. The panchayat will ensure follow-up work to ensure that the tourism destinations are green centres,” says Mr. Rajkumar.

Munnar Wildlife Warden K.V. Harikrishnan says Eravikulam National Park is already following green tourism protocol. “The national park has fixed waste bins for collecting waste and installed a waste segregation system. Plastic waste is being handed over to the Munnar panchayat,” he says.

“The mega clean-up drive in Munnar panchayat was conducted from March 4 to 15, in which 51 organisations participated. Of the 55 tonnes of waste, 49 tonnes was plastic waste,” says Mr. Rajkumar.

The District Tourism Promotion Council, Hydel Tourism, Forest department, Kanan Devan Hills Plantations, Merchant Association, unions of auto and taxi workers, My Munnar Movement, Fire and Rescue Services, Munnar Environment and Wildlife Society, Suchithwa Mission, Haritha Kerala Mission, Kudumbashree, and Haritha Karma Sena were among the organisations that participated in the clean-up drive.