An estimated 45,000 devotees who visited Dharmasthala by Padayaatra on the eve of Maha Shivaratri have left behind tonnes of trash, mainly plastic waste, all along the Charmadi Ghat thereby raising apprehension of pollution of water bodies of Dakshina Kannada district and surrounding areas.
To prevent such plastic waste from joining the water bodies, Hasiru Tapasvi, a voluntary organisation in Belthangady undertook a massive cleanliness campaign with its volunteers as well as students from Vivekananda College, Mundaje, located at the foot of Charmadi Ghat, on Thursday, March 14.
Every year, thousands of devotees, particularly from southern Karnataka districts, make it a point to visit Dharmasthala on the eve of Shivaratri by Padayaatra. They form groups in their respective localities, engage in bhajans and other activities, before proceeding by foot to Dharmasthala. While majority of the devotees take the Charmadi Ghat, some also tread the Shiradi Ghat, to reach Dharmasthala. Several voluntary organisations also make arrangements for food, drinking water, tender coconuts, etc., on the way to the devotees of Padayatra.
A statement from Hasiru Tapasvi here said cleanliness and hygiene should not only be maintained at pilgrim centres, but also in its surroundings. Polluting the water bodies in the vicinity of pilgrim centres tantamount to polluting the Almighty itself, it said. Tapasvi regretted many devotees have the habit of throwing used plastic plates, cups, leftover food etc., in the water bodies wherever they stay to have food thereby causing pollution.
With regard to Charmadi Ghat, the association said, rainwater along the Ghat stretch, between Kottigehara and Ujire, drains out to Mruthyunjaya, Aniyoor, Neriya, Sunala and other small streams that finally join the Netravathi River. The plastic waste dumped along the Ghat thus join the Netravathi, in which the very same devotees take bath at Dharmasthala, it noted.
It has urged devotees not to indulge in similar activities henceforth and vouch to protect the environment. The cleanliness drive was organised with the guidance of Pavan Kakathkar, Sachin Mundaje and other environmentalists.
