About 500 boys and girls from 10 colleges and schools removed five tonnes of plastic waste and bottles from Bhavani Sagar, Sathyamangalam, Thengumarada, Gejaletti, Hassanur, Arepalayam, Gunderipallam, Thalavady, Sujilkuttai and other areas.

The mission of the students is to clean the forest area and temples where people frequently visit.

Special Task Force personnel and staff from the Sathyamangalam Division of Forest Department assisted the students.

Inspector General of Police, Special Task Force, C Sylendra Babu says animals, including elephants die after consuming such plastic waste thrown by visitors in the forest area.

Babu adviced that people should avoid such practice of throwing waste and instructed people should take the waste back home with them and put them in dustbins.

The collected waste was handed over to the Sathyamangalam Municipality, which in consultation with the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board will take measures to recycle it.