TIRUPATI: After completing darshan at the Tirumala hills, some pilgrims are choosing to pause along the forested trekking routes — not for rest, but to join a clean-up drive or pick up discarded plastic waste.A small group of volunteers led by US-returned software engineer Shivaji Paleti are collecting bottles, food covers and carribags along the roadside. Devotees along the main course stop, make enquiries and join the ranks.They see this as an extension of their pilgrimage, turning devotion into social responsibility.Shivaji Paleti and a small group of volunteers say they clean the hills once a week. A PhD scholar, Shivaji has been travelling nearly 120km every weekend for the past 3.5 years to carry out this environmental service in the Tirupati–Tirumala region.The initiative is being carried out under the Eco-Saviours banner, which focuses on community participation and environmental education.With his band of young volunteers, Shivaji begins cleaning stretches along the walking paths and congregation points. “We usually start with a few people. Pilgrims passing by notice us. Many of them immediately join and help collect waste. They say this is also a form of seva to God,” Shivaji said.What began as a weekend clean-up activity has gradually expanded by now into a major environmental initiative. According to Shivaji, the team has removed more than 29,000kg of plastic waste from pilgrimage locations like Tirumala and other temple towns.The effort, he says, has also extended to awareness programmes, encouraging pilgrims to reduce single-use plastic and adopt responsible waste disposal practices.Under the Eco-Saviours banner, Shivaji conducts programmes in schools, demonstrating eco-bricks, seed pens, seed paper bags and bio-enzymes, while explaining waste segregation and reuse methods.According to him, educational institutions in Tirupati have also joined the effort.In collaboration with engineering students, Shivaji and his team prepared nearly one lakh seed balls as part of afforestation activities. Colleges and universities have participated in periodic drives, while some institutions have taken up awareness programmes and adoption of public spaces.Shivaji and volunteers are also conducting clean-up and awareness drives at Srisailam, Varanasi, Haridwar, Srikalahasti and Chamundi Hills.Alongside plastic removal drives, volunteers also interact with pilgrims during the clean-up activity and encourage them to carry reusable bottles and avoid littering. Many participants join for a short duration before continuing their journey.Families with children and groups of students often take part after witnessing the activity.“We came for darshan, but when we saw them cleaning the hills, we felt we should extend a helping hand. Spending some time here felt meaningful,” said a pilgrim who joined the drive near Japali Teertham.The clean-up drives usually continue for several hours before the collected waste is handed over for disposal. The steady presence of volunteers has gradually turned the activity into a familiar sight along parts of Tirupati and Tirumala, with pilgrims joining briefly before moving on.Shivaji say the most encouraging part is watching pilgrims return after darshan and join the effort.“Even if someone joins for a few minutes, it encourages others. Slowly, more pilgrims begin to see cleanliness as part of devotion. This response has helped sustain the effort,” he added.
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मुख्यमंत्री ने एसटी के कल्याण और विकास के लिए राज्य की प्रतिबद्धता को पुनः पुष्टि किया है
विजयवाड़ा: मुख्यमंत्री एन. चंद्रबाबू नायडू ने शुक्रवार को पिछड़े समुदायों (बीसी) के कल्याण और उन्नति के लिए अपनी…
