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Trekkers pick up trash to keep their hillsides green
“Very often trekkers that go on hikes and who happily litter the areas, are educated, working people who want to take a break from the city,” says Rupali Pachpor, one of the community leaders for Trekker Warrior’s Mumbai chapter
“Very often trekkers that go on hikes and who happily litter the areas, are educated, working people who want to take a break from the city,” says Rupali Pachpor, one of the community leaders for Trekker Warrior’s Mumbai chapter. This group of volunteers, on the other hand, go for treks to clean up the trash they find on the mountains.
A business analyst by profession and new to Mumbai, Pachpor initially joined Trekker Warriors to meet new people and go on treks. She now organizes and leads other people, literally up the hill. She says, “The most common trash we find are plastic items – bags, bottles, snack packets, etc. Another common item are alcohol bottles that are left behind by people who come to party.”
Started in 2019, this environmentally conscious group has around 57 community leaders’ pan-India. Till date they have conducted around 47 clean-up drives including six this year and have 750 active volunteers. In Mumbai, they have trekked the Tiger hills, Mama Bhanja hills and Yehoor hills in Thane, the Padavkada in Kharghar and many more.
The newly setup Pune chapter’s first clean-up drive will be held today at the Sinhagad fort. It will be led by a 22-year-old student Ameya Bade. While Bade is a frequent trekker, this will be his first time leading a trek.
He says, “The main motivation for the trek is to enjoy yourself while also cleaning it up. We usually enjoy the climb up the hill and collect the trash on our way down.”
Interestingly, Pachpor says that during their treks, they witness three types of people those who appreciate them, give them a smile or a thumbs up to their work. Then there are those who notice the work they are doing and will voluntarily join them. The third kind are those who don’t appreciate or participate but they notice them working and will collect their own trash.
With garbage everywhere, Pachpor says people have two options when they see trash littered at any place they visit – they can either stay quiet and not do anything about it or they can take action and pick up the trash.
