The Chennai chapter of the Intrek Club conducted a green sweep at Aare Falls, collecting approximately 440 kg of waste in four hours. The clean-up was carried out in coordination with the Tirupati Forest Department and involved 50 trekkers, aged between 10 and 67.

This was the second green sweep conducted by the chapter at Aare Falls. The first clean-up, held in November this year, helped the team understand the scale and pattern of littering along the trail.

“The first sweep gave us clarity on where the litter was accumulating the most,” said Rajesh Ramkumar, a core team member of the Intrek Club’s Chennai chapter. “It also helped us build a working relationship with the forest department, which made this clean-up far more effective.”

Despite the earlier effort, the waterfall area was still in poor condition. Trekkers collected close to 60 sacks of waste from the site. The waste included glass liquor bottles, plastic packaging, sanitary waste, diapers, microplastics, and food wrappers. Nearly 100 glass bottles were recovered from a single stretch near the waterfall.

“A lot of the waste was old and embedded into the soil and rocks,” Rajesh said. “Glass bottles, especially, had been thrown deep into the vegetation. Removing them safely took time and coordination.”

Rajesh noted that the difference between the first and second green sweep was visible not just on the trail, but in the response from authorities.

“After the first clean-up, the awareness level definitely improved,” he said. “This time, the forest staff were more involved on their own. That makes a big difference on the ground.”

The clean-up also influenced visitors at the site. As trekkers carried the filled sacks back, several people stopped to thank them. Some handed over waste they were carrying instead of littering it along the trail.

“That was encouraging to see,” Rajesh said. “When people see the effort up close, it immediately makes them more conscious about what they’re carrying and where they throw it.”

Encouraged by the outcome, the Chennai chapter plans to conduct green sweeps at Aare Falls every three months, subject to permissions.

“Our aim is consistency,” Rajesh said. “One clean-up helps, but regular sweeps are what actually change behaviour and keep a place clean.”

Alongside clean-ups, the chapter also hopes to work with authorities to improve waste segregation and disposal processes around the area.

Want to be part of such initiatives?

The Intrek Club currently has active chapters in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, with several more cities planned. Through green sweeps, treks, and other community-led outdoor initiatives, the club focuses on building long-term responsibility towards India’s natural spaces.