Kerala: Sabarimala set to go plastic-free thanks to social media campaigns

Efforts to make the pilgrimage centre of Sabarimala in Kerala plastic-free are intensifying. Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson stated that there will be more efforts in this direction in the coming days.

According to a report in Deccan Chronicle, the Kerala government will conduct meetings in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai for Ayyappa devotees and urge them not to carry plastic bags to Sabarimala. Thomson has asked district collectors to use social media extensively to spread the anti-plastic bag message, adds the report.

Last year there was an awareness campaign launched on the same subject by the Forest Department and Kudumbashree. This campaign is still ongoing. There are 40 points in Sabarimala where Eco-Guards will be stationed.

During the Sabarimala pilgrimage season, which is from November to January, lakhs of Ayyappa devotees flock to Sabarimala. Many carry plastic bags with them and the resulting garbage is tough to clean up. 

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