Mysore/Mysuru: Nagamale Hill in Male Mahadeshwara Hill Ranges is a favourite trekking spot now and there has been an increasing adventure activity after the death of forest brigand Veerappan, who had made the entire forest range his area of sandalwood smuggling and elephant tusk-stealing operation years back.

This place is considered sacred as a rock that resembles a Shivalinga is protected from the sun rays by another rock that looks like a fully spread hood of a snake. 

Beliefs apart, as the place is a much sought-after trekking destination, it had turned into a garbage dump yard as careless trekkers leave behind plastic bags, water bottles, food waste and also plastic cups and plates. This is an unfortunate development as the waste is dumped amidst nature, dirtying the surroundings by the same people who come there to enjoy the pristine beauty of nature, mountains and forests.

Taking the responsibility of cleaning the surroundings, volunteers from Yuva Brigade launched a two-day cleaning campaign last Saturday and Sunday. While on the first day, over 50 volunteers cleaned the weeds around Antharagange and got rid of mud deposits in the surroundings of the water source, the second day they picked up loads of plastic waste from the road that leads to Nagamale.

 The waste picking drive began at 8.30 am from Nagamale and a tractor-load of plastic waste was collected by the time they covered a distance of one kilometre. The collected waste was filled into gunny bags and were left at the Nagamale Forest Department Office and again the cleaning task was initiated from the Forest Office to Indiganatha village.

Apart from plastic waste, clothes, slippers, chocolates, snack and biscuit packets were collected. By 5 pm, one truck-load of waste was filled to be transported to waste segregation units.

Yuva Brigade Division Convener Chandrashekar, Co-Convener Pramod, Praveen, Prajwal Devaramani, Ramanujam, Balu, Sunag, Pavan, Keerthi, Manoj, Swamy, Prasanna, Madhu and other volunteers from Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, T. Narasipur and Nanjangud participated.