The Green Team, a conservation group of outdoor enthusiasts from Wanaparthy, has taken up the initiative to establish plastic-free zones in the State. The team’s primary objective is to protect the environment and promote green initiatives. They aim to engage the public and government in cleanup campaigns to safeguard the environment and create a plastic-free zone.
The team’s first project is a cleaning drive at Tirumalayya Gutta, a sacred grove located close to Wanaparthy in Telangana. The grove has a Lord Venkateshwara temple on top of the hill, surrounded by dry deciduous and scrub forests, as well as enormous rock boulders. The team collected close to 1280 kg of trash, including plastic, glass bottles, paper plates, and other items. The picked up trash was delivered to the municipal corporation for proper disposal.
The team conducted the clean-up drive along with forest officials and school children. They urge the public not to throw plastic waste on the hill and request the government to arrange a tollgate near the entrance of the hill and take steps to prohibit single-use plastic.
Krishna Sagar, founder of the team, said, “As Tirumalayya Gutta is located on the hillock, tourists visit this place for recreation, and they cook and drink, and the plastic gets accumulated in this area.” The team encourages visitors not to use plastic items and take back any waste generated.
Divya Teja, one of the team members, said, “50 volunteers, 10 clean-up drives, and 2 awareness sessions were put in by the team to clean up Tirumalayya Gutta. When we noticed people throwing plastic bottles, cigarette butts, alcohol bottles, and others, we took up an initiative of cleaning the place and invited our other friends to take part in this.”
Overall, the Green Team is committed to protecting nature and keeping it neat and orderly. They hope to inspire others to join their cause and establish more plastic-free zones in the State.
