tonnes of plastic is left behind by devotees visiting Sabarimala every year. As Sabarimala is part of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, the effects are spilling over.

of plastic refuse, including carry bags, food packets and wrappers, apart from aluminium foils were found inside the bowels of an 40 year old elephant in Feb 2014. The ingestion of plastics leads to intestinal blockage that caused its death.

year when the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple, had committed before the Supreme Court that it would take initiatives for waste management in Sabarimala. 10 years later, the TDB is yet to take any initiate in this regard.