The Forest Department has taken various measures to reduce pollution in the Vellingiri hills, an ecologically significant hill ranges of the Western Ghats near Coimbatore that devotees trek to worship Lord Shiva in self-manifested form (Swayambhu), during the ongoing pilgrimage season.
The main focus of the department is to prevent pilgrims from littering plastic products, namely water bottles, plastic covers of snacks and biscuits, and polythene carry bags.
According to the department, pilgrims are allowed to take drinking water bottles to the hills after paying a refundable fee of ₹20 per bottle.
The staff screen pilgrims at the starting point of the 6.5 km-long trekking route near the Vellingiri Andavar temple at Poondi. Stickers will be pasted on bottles, for which a refundable fee is collected. The amount will be refunded when the pilgrims produce the bottles to the staff after completing the trekking and return to Poondi, said a department official.
Pilgrims are not allowed to take plastic carry bags, inflammable items, cigarette/beedi and other contraband items during the trekking. Pilgrims are also not allowed to stay overnight at the culmination point at the seven hill or along the trekking route, all falling under reserve forest areas of the Boluvampatti forest range that is home to a variety of animals, including elephant, gaur, tiger, bear, leopard, deer and king cobra.
The staff has also appealed to the pilgrims not to dump their used clothes on the hills after taking bath in the Andisunai stream.
While the Forest Department had been permitting pilgrims in the months of March and April in the past, the High Court in its order on February 6 said that devotees can ascend the hills for four months between February and May.
