CHIKKAMAGALURU: Waterfalls, which become tourist hotspots, usually have a lot of garbage strewn around. However, at Manikyadhara waterfall in Bababudangiri hills, officials are dealing with a unique problem — heaps of clothes. The waterfall, which is running thin due to a shortage of water, is still seeing people leaving behind their clothes after they take a dip in its waters.
The belief among visitors is that if clothes are dipped in the water and thrown away, they will be rid of evils. Earlier, Swachha Trust members, led by Dr Shobha Vijayakumar and Dr Gita, had cleared the garbage, but the clothes are back again.
Left ungathered, these clothes make their way into the Shola forests where several tons of clothes have been deposited. The district administration has put up a board, warning visitors that a fine of `50 will be levied. It is said that a contractor has also been appointed to remove the clothes.