Uttarakhand's Corbett Tiger Reserve has decided to ban plastic water bottles across all tourism zones from October. The initiative aims to make the reserve plastic- and pollution-free. In place of plastic bottles, tourists will be provided drinking water in reusable glass bottles.
Corbett Tiger Reserve director Saket Badola said the initiative is aimed at reducing plastic waste and preserving the reserve's fragile ecosystem. Preparations are underway to establish a bottling plant within the reserve, where purified drinking water will be filled into glass bottles and supplied to tourists.
A deposit-refund mechanism will be introduced to encourage visitors to preserve and return the bottles. Tourists will be charged for the drinking water and the glass bottle at the entry gate, and the deposit amount for the bottle will be refunded if returned in good condition.
