Bhubaneswar, Nov. 3: Good news for animal and nature lovers. The Nandankanan Zoological Park will soon become a plastic-free zone.

Having failed to check the indiscriminate littering of plastic materials on the zoo premises, the authorities are now planning to open a “green shop” to curb the menace.

According to the plan, a visitor would have to shell out a nominal amount of Rs 10, which is refundable, at the green shop to carry a plastic water bottle into the park. After paying the money, the person would be given a sticker to paste on the bottle. The deposit amount can be collected once the person returns the sticker-pasted plastic bottle.

Deputy director of the zoo, Shiba Narayan Mohapatra, said the new plan would create awareness among the visitors.

“The construction of the green shop is over. Visitors tend to leave plastic bottles all around the park, which is a cause for concern. We hope with the new plan, fewer plastic bottles would be discarded,” said Mohapatra.

The green shop will also have jute and paper carry bags. As a visitor, a person can use these to carry food. Also, on the agenda is the introduction of guides inside the park who will help keep the premises plastic-free.

The guides will collect plastic packets and guthka sachets that the visitors usually discard. The authorities feel once the visitors see the guides collecting the garbage, they would hesitate to discard these materials inside the zoo.

The new Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011, has replaced the earlier Recycled Plastics Manufacturer and Usage Rules, 1999, (amended in 2003), and has made the public authorities responsible for setting up, making operational and coordinating the waste management system relating to plastic wastes to keep the environment clean.

“This is a welcome step. The zoo should be kept free from plastic. If people have to pay Rs 10 to dump a plastic bottle, they will obviously refrain from doing so. This is the only way to stop people from leaving plastic bottles at the zoo,” said Manjulata Behera, a visitor.

Visitors also said the new plan should be implemented effectively.

“If the authorities want to make the zoo area plastic-free, they must provide sufficient paper and jute carry bags and deploy some personnel to keep a vigil,” said Abhishek Paul, a visitor from Bengal.

The zoo authorities, meanwhile, have introduced battery-operated vehicles inside the zoo to facilitate soundless and pollution-free travel for visitors from one enclosure to another.

“The zoo should organise awareness camps in educational institutions in the city to attract students so that more and more people know the animals and plants better,” said Jasaswini Mohapatra, a teacher from Ganga Nagar.

The zoo, a major tourist attraction, recorded a footfall of 21,28,478 visitors in 2009-10. Zoo authorities are also planning to set up a Herbivore Safari in which three species of herbivores — barking deer, spotted deer and sambar — will be housed. Forty animals have already been moved to the safari area and there will be 150 animals when the enclosure is ready for tourists. With this there will be three safaris at Nandankanan, — lion, tiger and herbivore safaris.

“We are also planning a bear safari. Preliminary planning has begun,” said a senior zoo official.

Nandankanan is the first zoo in the country to become a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquarium.

Do you think charging a nominal amount of Rs 10 is a foolproof way of keeping the zoo premises clean? Tell ttorissa@abp.in