COIMBATORE: After the three month trekking period at Velliangiri Hills ended a week before schedule due to heavy rains, the Tamil Nadu forest department staff and NGO volunteers collected 10,905kg of waste.
The waste collection commenced on February 22 and ended on May 25.
C Prashanth and D Saranraj, directors of Recompose Recycling Private Limited said that by recycling the waste, they have saved 23,929 litres of water, 3,317 litres of oil and 14 trees.
"Using the waste, we are planning to develop shelter or chairs after holding discussions with the DFO and Boluvampatti forest range officer. These will be placed at the foothills next summer so as to raise awareness among devotees and stop them from using plastics," said Prashanth.
Forest sources said that last year, 2.30 lakh devotees visited the hill and offered their prayers. This year, over 2.50 lakh devotees visited the temple even as entry was closed a week before schedule.
"We have curtailed the devotees from taking food and other snack items in plastic bags, and we have cleared cloth waste dumped by devotees at the sixth hill at Andisunai. Our staff will visit again to check whether the devotees dumped any waste in seven hills once the rain subsides," said sources in the Boluvampatti forest range.