Uttarakhand: Volunteers launch 'cleanliness drive' to manage plastic waste near waterfall

In a cleanliness drive inspired by PM Modi’s ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign, a group of self-motivated volunteers came together to pick plastic waste items around Neer Garh waterfall in Uttrakhand to safeguard the ecosystem from the hazards of plastic pollution, a non-biodegradable waste that can linger for several thousand years. In an inspiring post shared by Pradeep Sangwan, a mountaineer and founder of Healing Himalayas Foundation on his Twitter handle, a group of dedicated workers can be seen collecting the plastic disposables from near the waterfall in the mountain region to preserve the natural environment and scenic beauty of the tourist attraction. 

Several men involved in the environmental cause actively contributed towards sustainable tourism as they rag picked the plastic packaging that often ends up contaminating the rivers, water streams, and piles up in waste landfills in the hilly region. In the images shared, participants can be seen collecting pet bottles, plastic wrapping material, debris, plastic packaging, glasses, and other non-composite waste strewn by the hikers in the mountains. Founder of the Healing Himalayas Foundation wrote in the caption that his team launched a drive near Neer Garh Waterfall to manage plastic waste to preserve the environment and its natural ecology. 

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Restoring 'tranquility' of Himalayas

The organization handles plastic waste management in the mountainous terrain of the Himalayas which is otherwise inaccessible for the municipal workers. “We envision to restore the tranquility of the Himalayas and to retain the charm of Himalayan treks by making them garbage and plastic-free,” the organization wrote about its goals. According to Sangwan, the ecology of the Himalayas is particularly at risk due to waste degradation and its restoration poses greater challenges for humanity. The team has been inclined towards the longstanding commitment of ‘healing Himalayas’. “ The extremely dedicated team members work tirelessly to achieve values and beliefs laid by the organization,” the founder said. “We look up to restore beautiful treks and give trekkers a clean and healthy path to trek on,” he added. 

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