Youth clear trash on tracks as ‘plogging’ catches on in TN

Now, digital entrepreneur Jacob Cherian, who runs a homestay in Kodaikanal, ‘The Misty Mountain’, is organising India’s first ‘plogging party’. To be held from March 30 to April 2, the party will see close to 40 campers participating in preserving the local ecosystem.

“I used to clean up the plastic and other waste strewn across the path whenever I walked in the region, and post it online. When people started showing interest, I came across the concept of plogging and decided to set up an event on Facebook. The response was pretty great. People wouldn’t be just picking up trash, but also have a terrific experience with campfire, music, storytelling session and so on throughout the course of the party,” explains Jacob.

His event has tied up with Camp Monk, an online camping startup, and participants can bring their own tents or use the ones provided at the homestay. “Families are encouraged to bring along their pets as well to be part of the merry journey and enjoy the Kodai hills,” says Jacob.

The Scandinavian trend originated in 2016, but has picked up

in 2018 to become one of the year’s most coveted eco-friendly as well as fitness ideas. Jacob explains that he hopes the initiative would inspire everyone to take cleaning into their own hands. “We are staying well away from the forests in light of the recent fire episode, so there is complete safety guaranteed.

Prakasapuram village in Kodaikanal is where we will begin plogging, with bags and sticks with nails at the end to make it easy to gather the litter.”

After looking at Jacob’s event page on social media, more such initiatives seem to be slowly sprouting across the country, and he has been flooded with requests to hold more such plogging parties soon.