More than 1,050 kg of waste was collected from the banks of the Cauvery between Mekedatu and Sangama in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary on Sunday as part of a river clean-up drive.

The drive was organised by the Wildlife Association of South India, Freshwaters India Foundation and the Karnataka Forest Department as part of National Wildlife Week (October 2-8) and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.

Around 70 volunteers, along with members of the organising groups, participated in the clean-up at Sangama, the confluence of the Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers. Members of Paani.Earth and Singers Sans Borders also contributed to the event.

Sangama is a popular destination for tourists and families. The large quantity of waste collected during the drive highlighted the extent of pollution of waterbodies, the volunteers said. During an informal interaction after the clean-up, participants discussed the prevalence of plastic waste and ways to reduce the use of single-use plastics and minimise waste at source.