The Hindu           07.02.2011

Engineering students help in cleaning up Chamundi hills

For a cause: Students of Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering help in cleaning Chamundi Hills in Mysore on Sunday. — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

Students of the Vidya Vardhaka College of Engineering in the city lent a helping hand in cleaning up Chamundi Hills and removed a large amount of garbage from the area.

Nearly 200 students of the college participated in the effort held as part of the Entrepreneurship Week-2011. The participants hit the hills at the crack of dawn and Mayor Sandesh Swamy, corporators, health officials from the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) were among those who were present and assisted the student community in the voluntary work.

Though Chamundi Hills has been declared a no-pastic zone, the tourist and pilgrim rush generates large amount of garbage, most of which is not disposed. In addition, there is a tendency among travellers to dispose large chunks of waste material like beer cans and plastic bottles that tend to accumulate and degenerate.

The garbage was collected in large sacks and disposed off in a truck to the sewage farm in the city. ‘Clean Chamundi Hills' is a regular event organised by various environmental groups and educational institutions and has helped reduce pollution to a large extent. Chamundi Hills is stated to be ecologically sensitive and fragile and is under constant stress of growing urbanisation and encroachment. Such drives help bring the issue into focus.