IFS Officer Sends Strong Message To Tourists Who Litter In Forest

Littering by tourists in places such as lakes and forests has long been an issue in India. On Wednesday, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer once again highlighted how reckless travelers leave behind used bottles and plastic in the wild. IFS officer Parveen Kaswan shared photos that showed two people carrying a load of garbage across what appears to be a dried-up river bed. While sharing these photos, Kaswan wrote, “Dukchen Bhutia is our range officer. Went to the field with a group. Found a lot of trash thrown by tourists and decided to collect it all. She is showing the way. In Forest behave like animals, they don’t spread trash.”

This post soon gathered hundreds of likes with people showing concern over the lack of civic sense in India. An X user commented, “This is probably one of the reasons why Lakshadweep and Andaman need to be protected from tourism… We kind of lack discipline with regards to waste management.” Someone highlighted the supposed double standards of Indians and wrote, “Why do people behave like this? Do they throw trash everywhere in their house? The same people when they go abroad will praise how clean the other country is and will follow the rules there.”

An X user shared that a lake close to their house has been polluted over the years and wrote, “But why don’t we understand such a basic thing as Not Littering?? Even where I stay, a beautiful lake has been turned into a gutter with people throwing all their trash in it… We fail at civic sense, be it standing in queues, following traffic etiquette and everything else…”

Another wrote, “Sir even i saw people throwing baby diapers from cars in the mountains though there were trash cans at every turn point. We can’t do anything till now people realise not to throw trash here and there!”

In the comments, people also suggested that the state should increase awareness about maintaining cleanliness and should enforce fines on tourists who litter. An X user suggested, “All sorts of disposable, single use plastic and even tetra packs & packed snacks or food should be strictly prohibited to be carried while on a tour (except for use in hotels & resorts or home stay).” Another mentioned, “There should be fines for violators and mandatory fees for environmental protection/clean up which should be used to keep forests clean.”