COIMBATORE: Volunteers and NGOs, along with the forest department, have seized 9,110 kg of plastic waste at the Velliangiri foothills between February and May, from devotees.
The forest department had granted permission to devotees to trek to the Lord Velliangiri Aandavar Temple, which is situated on the seventh hill. While the temple is under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) department, the forest department permits treks from February to May.
Although the department is screening pilgrims near the Velliangiri Andavar Temple at Poondi to prevent them from carrying plastic materials to the hills, officers are unable to check all devotees, especially during weekends and festival times.
To prevent carrying plastic materials on the hills, volunteers from various organisations and private firms that recycle plastic materials set up screening camps at the foothills. This year, the season for trekking ended earlier on May 13. By the end of the season 9,110 kg of plastic waste has been collected from the public at the foothills.
C Prashanth, from Recompose Recycling Private Limited, which was involved in the plastic collection at Velliangiri, said the camp had been active since February 10.