UNSUSPECTING VICTIMS: A chimpanzee in the Nehru Zoological Park is all set to eat a plastic cover. — PHOTO: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD : In an effort to enforce ban on use of plastic in the Nehru Zoological Park, the authorities are planning to make available paper bags for visitors at the entrance gates from the month of June.

Though a ban on carrying plastic bags into the 400-acre odd sprawling zoo premises is in place for the last few years, enforcement appears to be not complete.

Though guards at the entrance do screen visitors for the banned material, many manage to walk past with water bottles and plastic bags to carry food items inside.

The move to prohibit plastic at zoo was taken amid concerns over the risk of animals feeding on them and thereby landing in danger. About three years back, the zoo had lost three deer and consuming plastic dropped in the premises by visitors, was suspected to be the cause of death.

A notice board with a caution on a fine appears to fail in deterring visitors from bringing fruits and food wrapped in plastic and also water in disposable bottles.

Food items

The zoo authorities have now decided to make available paper bags at the entrance for visitors.

"Even if they had bought food items or snacks in plastic, the same can be shifted into paper bags and carried in," says Sekhar Reddy, Zoo Assistant Conservator.

The effort is to arrange for these paper bags at a nominal cost, at Re.1 or Rs.2 at the most, through some private agency.

Some of the other zoos have tried providing old newspaper sheets after collecting plastic bags brought by visitors at the entrance itself, but the move did not work as most apparently do not like carrying food material in loose sheets.

"Hence, we decided to go for paper bags instead of paper sheets," says Mr.Reddy.

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