As the pilgrimage season at the Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala started on Monday, the focus this time is reportedly on the Punyam Poonkavanam project initiated by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) ­to clean Pamba River with the help of Sabarimala devotees.

The project was started in association with the state government 4 years ago.

Every year, several tonnes of wastes accumulate after the pilgrimage season, which has been a major challenge for civic authorities, along with cleaning up the Pamba River. So this year, the TDB has launched a plan to get devotees to volunteer by cleaning up the river for an hour everyday.

 “Last year, Sannidhanam was the focus area. This season it has been extended to the Pamba river basin. We have begun `poonkavanams' or devotee base camps in the neighbouring states where volunteers will ask devotees not to bring plastic waste to Sabarimala. This year, we will also be urging devotees to volunteer an hour to clean up the surroundings. Our motto is cleanliness is next to godliness,” DIG P Vijayan, nodal officer of the project told The Times of India.

TOI further reports that Devaswom minister V Sivakumar said that the state has allotted Rs 65 crore to implement the Sabarimala master plan. “The government has allotted Rs 10 crore for a zero-waste programme and installed two water tanks of 20,000 litres for providing clean drinking water,” he said.

As per the report every year around 125 tonnes of wastes are collected from the locality. Above that a huge quantity of waste is being discharged from the appam and aravana (temple offerings) units into the Pamba.