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THE HERMITAGE LEADS THE WAY

THE HERMITAGE LEADS THE WAY

Here at The Hermitage,  the eco-friendly beach resort near Neeleshwar, we were delighted to see that a local town council has decided (at last!) to follow our lead. When we opened the hotel in 2008, one of our key eco-policies was a strict NO PLASTIC ruling. We have enforced this since then, and have demonstrated that with a change of perspective and a little bit of forethought, it is perfectly possible 

Now we here from today's HINDU newspaper that Kannur, a large town and active political centre a couple of hours south of us, has decided to implement a 'no-plastic bag' policy from April 2nd 2017. This bold initiative was inaugurated with an exhibition organised by the local Kudumbasree Mission running from 20th - 22nd March to demonstrate to locals the vast array of natural cloth and cotton carrier bags and containers easily available in the market as plastic bag  substitutes.  
 
This policy is very timely; each month alone as many as ONE MILLION plastic bags are sold in Kannur district - resulting in the unsightly and unhealthy clogging of rivers, lakes and roadsides areas, let alone the deaths of those unfortunate animals who choke on them. Given that the natural biodegradable time of plastic waste in unknown, this not only pollutes the present but ensures increasing and continued pollution for the unforeseeable future. 
 
Handloom has a long and noble history in India, and was chosen as the symbol of Self-rule by the father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Now is surely the time to revive this ancient craft which can provide many more jobs in rural and impoverished areas and make a real contribution to reversing the shocking neglect of the environment that has long been an ugly blight on the Sate and an indictment of its successive governments. 
 
Congratulations to all concerned in the Kannur decision, and may other local councils follow their example!

by Alistair Shearer

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