A clean-up pilgrimage

Every year, after the Manimahesh pilgrimage, there is a trail of litter left behind by devotees. The Mountain Cleaners, a group of volunteers, has taken up the mission to get rid of this waste, writes Vishal Gulati

BEFORE the pilgrimage for Manimahesh starts, anti-waste campaigners have headed for Manimahesh Lake at 13,500 feet, which on clear days affords splendid views of Lord Shiva’s mythical abode, Mount Kailash.

The campaign is led by British national Jodie Underhill, known as the ‘garbage girl’ of the mountains, with the motto: "Help us to keep Shiva’s home clean like ours is."

In the interiors of Chamba district, the lake is visited annually by more than 500,000 devotees, undertaking an arduous 14-km trek from the Hadsar base camp to the oval-shaped lake from where they can see Mount Kailash and offer prayers.

But they inevitably leave a trail of litter behind and there is no official provision to carry back trash.

"The six-week clean-up and recycling campaign in Manimahesh was quite a success last year," says 35-year-old Underhill, who heads Mountain Cleaners, a group of volunteers, who have taken up as a mission the clean up of the mountains in the state.

"We are running a waste management programme and aim to bring back as much waste as we can to maximise recycling and minimise dumping and burning," says Underhill.

The annual pilgrimage starts on August 22 and concludes on September 5. Mount Kailash towers above the lake, and on a clear day you can see its reflection in the lake itself.

The Mountain Cleaners, comprising Indians, Tibetans and foreigners, had reached Hadsar, almost a fortnight before the month-long pilgrimage starts from Shimla.

The group is providing a daily waste collection service, including garbage bags, at all langars or community kitchens and eatable kiosks from Hadsar to Manimahesh.

"Pits have been dug up by the organisers of the pilgrimage for burning waste, but we are providing an alternative by asking them to use these pits for composting biodegradable waste!"

The Mountain Cleaners have set up waste disposal and drop-off points along the route at Bharmour, Hadsar, Dhancho, Gauri Kund and Manimahesh and will provide cloth bags to devotees to bring back their waste.

According to tradition, the devotees discard their clothes near the lake after taking a dip in the water.

"We have set up bins along the lake to dispose off abandoned clothes," she says, adding, "We will also pass on discarded clothes to those in need".

Chamba Deputy Commissioner Devesh Kumar says the district administration would provide logistical support to the Mountain Cleaners.

Underhill arrived in Dharamsala in 2009 to learn about the Tibetan cause. She was horrified to see the amount of garbage destroying the beauty of the local area and started organising mass clean-ups in the area. — IANS