Hanoor: The Male Mahadeshwara Kshetra Development Authority will implement a comprehensive action plan to transform Male Mahadeshwara Hills (MM Hills) into a clean, eco-friendly and plastic-free pilgrimage centre, its newly appointed Secretary Purushottam said on Monday.
Speaking after inaugurating a tree-planting programme jointly organised by the Environmental Warriors Group, Mysuru, and the Chamarajanagar district unit of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Purushottam said the authority would gradually reduce plastic use by involving devotees, traders, local residents and voluntary organisations.
He said environmental conservation and cleanliness were integral to preserving the sanctity of religious places and appreciated the suggestions put forward by the Environmental Warriors Group and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh. Purushottam said the authority aims to make MM Hills a model plastic-free pilgrimage destination for the state.
During the programme, P. Manjunath Eerappanakoppalu of the Environmental Warriors Group highlighted the growing accumulation of plastic waste due to the large number of devotees visiting the shrine every day. He urged the authorities to introduce eco-friendly alternatives to plastic and conduct sustained awareness campaigns to eliminate plastic use in phases.
The event was attended by Kiran Kumar, PDO of Mahadeshwara Betta Gram Panchayat; Govindaraju, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Mahadeshwara Betta Police Station; Manigar Prasad, Vice-President of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Chamarajanagar district; Lingaraj, Treasurer; Harish, Hanur Taluk President; Sadananda, Sadashiva Bettappa, and several other leaders and environmental activists