The Regional Museum of Natural History, Bhopal, organized a Power Point presentation-cum-lectures on ‘Plastic Pollution in Protected Areas and Its Effect on Mammalian Wildlife of Madhya Pradesh’ and ‘Effect of Plastic Pollution on Reptilian Biodiversity of Madhya Pradesh’ on Wednesday under the Summer Nature Study Programme.
Manik lal Gupta, Scientist-B & Coordinator of the Programme delivered the lecture on ‘Affect of Plastic Pollution in Protected Areas in respect of Mammalian Biodiversity’. Gupta told that Plastic is composed of major toxic pollutants; it has the potential to cause great harm to the air, water and land. He defined the Plastic Pollution as Negative impact of the plastic towards air, water, land, plants, wildlife, human beings etc. are known as plastic pollution. He detailed about the National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Tiger Reserves and Biosphere Reserve of Madhya Pradesh.
Gupta informed that 94 species of mammalian fauna are found in Madhya Pradesh and when these mammalian likes; Sloth Bear, Barking deer, Black buck, Gaur, Chinkara, Wolf, Cheetal, Monkey etc. consume the polythene and plastic made materials with food materials and they are unable to digest the polythene and plastic materials. These polythene and plastic materials is one of the reasons of death of wildlife. During the lecture, Gupta appealed to reduce the use of polythene and plastic materials. In the next session, in-charge of the museum and Scientist-B, Manoj Kumar Sharma delivered the lecture on ‘Effect of Plastic Pollution on Reptilian Biodiversity of Madhya Pradesh’. During the lecture, Sharma detailed about the importance of Reptiles, affect of plastic pollution on reptilians and ecosystem and detailed about methods of conservation. He told that Plastic pollution has the potential to poison animals, which can also adversely affect the human through edible items. Plastic pollution has been described as being highly harmful to large marine mammals. Sharma detailed about effect of plastic pollution on reptilian likes Tortoise, Snake, lizards etc. He appealed to beat plastic pollution and save the wildlife.