Mysore/Mysuru: In response to the alarming littering witnessed during the recent Deepavali festivities, the Mysuru District Unit of Yuva Brigade launched a large-scale cleanliness drive at Sidilu Mallikarjuna Swamy Betta (Hill) in Periyapatna recently.

Over 50 volunteers assembled at the base of the Hill early in the morning and began clearing heaps of plastic waste scattered across the steps and slopes.

During Deepavali, lakhs of devotees had visited the sacred Sidilu Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple to offer prayers and where the famed Deevatige Festival was observed.

Many devotees consumed water, juice, buttermilk and lassi to beat the heat, but carelessly discarded plastic bottles, packaged waste, cartons and other waste along the stairways, severely polluting the sacred Hill.

Yuva Brigade volunteers climbed the Hill, systematically collecting the litter from stair edges and surrounding areas. The cleanup continued till 1 pm, resulting in the collection of nearly 70 large sacks filled with plastic bottles, packaged waste and other non-biodegradable materials. The collected waste was brought down to the foothills and stacked near the Temple Tower for proper disposal.

Students from Mysuru’s National Institute of Engineering (NIE) also actively participated in the clearing drive. The Bettadapura Gram Panchayat extended support by arranging food and refreshments for the volunteers and assured that all collected waste would be responsibly disposed of.

Key participants included Yuva Brigade District Coordinator Chandrashekhar, State Co-coordinator Ramanujam, Periyapatna Taluk Coordinator Ashwatha and volunteers Namo Mallesh, Prashanth, Rudresh, Chandan, Soori, Praveen, Prajwal, Shivu, Madan and Pavan.

NIE Student Welfare Officer Dr. Sharath Chandra, along with students Kiran, Akanksha, Karthik, Vikas Yadav, Chris, and Rohan, were also part of the  volunteer team.