Unholy mess

Lakhs of visitors tour the wildlife sanctuary and temple at Bhimashankar, but leave behind unseemly heaps of banned plastic bags and bottles

The scenic landscape, the winding road flanked by mountains and the sacred grove don8217;t prepare you for the sight that greets you at Bhimashankar. Renowned for its 18th century jyotirlinga Shiva temple and a wildlife sanctuary, with shekru or giant squirrel as its famed resident, Bhimashankar is practically drowning in plastic.

Hundreds of plastic bags fill up the entrance and parking area, walk down the steps to the temple and mineral water bottles replace the bags, circle the beautifully crafted temple to the back side, where a narrow path leads to the Bhima riverbed and the sacred grove, and the mounting plastic assumes nightmarish proportions. It continues all the way to Guptbheema, a sacred place in the heart of the forest where Lord Shiva is supposed to have appeared and disappeared. It8217;s not the experience one is looking for at Bhimashankar.

Surprisingly, while everyone is aware of the problem, they are also a part of it: the shopkeepers who sell nirmalaya offerings in the banned, blue plastic bags, to the devotees who carry them, the temple authorities who turn a blind eye to bags disposed of in the nullah behind the temple, which are carried away by rain water into the forest, to the authorities who express helplessness at implementing the law.

8220;There are two kinds of visitors, trekkers and devotees,8221; says C.S. George, range forest officer at Bhimashankar. 8220;While the former are aware of the need to save the environment and rarely litter the place, the latter more than make up for it. The ban on plastic bags is not taken seriously by shopkeepers and the devotees,8221; he adds.

According to D.R. Parihar, conservator of forests, Pune, it8217;s the unique combination of a temple and sanctuary at Bhimashankar that poses a challenge to implementing the law. To begin with, there are multiple authorities8212;revenue department, forest department and the temple trust8212;and compounding the problem is the fact that Bhimashankar comes under two divisions, Pune and Thane.

8220;We are doing what we can to clean up the premises,8221; says Parihar, who organised volunteers to clean up the area during Shivratri and also regularly holds meetings with shopkeepers and locals. An innovative shopkeeper, Krishna Ramnulangi, has even replaced plastic bags with bamboo baskets.

But the effort is not enough. 8220;It has to come from people. We have started hiring local tribal youth for cleaning up when we have funds,8221; adds Parihar. But with only four people to oversee a forest area of 130 sq km, its tough.

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SDO Gajanand Patil shrugs off the responsibility, as does the temple trust. While Patil says he is merely an administrator as the area is a designated wildlife sanctuary, Ashish Odilkar, a 14th generation priest at the temple, says, 8220;What can we do? It8217;s the visitors who bring the plastic bags.8221;

8220;We have to be careful about hurting the religious sentiments. It8217;s ironic that people are offended if we tell them not to carry the offerings in plastic bags, but don8217;t think they are wrong in polluting the forest,8221; says George.

Meanwhile, environmentalists are worried about the long-term effects of the plastic invasion. 8220;The threat is grave. Not only will the riverbed and top soil get choked, but it also poses a danger to monkeys, civet cats and the giant squirrel, who may end up swallowing the plastic bags while rummaging for food,8221; says Ashish Kothari of Kalpavriksha, an NGO that is working at saving the forest land at Bhimashankar.

According to Sayali Pilande, another volunteer, Bhimashankar is the only place in the country where the Ratufa Indica species of the giant squirrel is found. 8220;These squirrels don8217;t drink water, they get it through the plants they eat. If the vegetation is threatened, it will decrease their numbers,8221; she asserts.

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That is only part of the problem in Bhimashankar. For lakhs of devotees who visit the area, they now have a reason to pray.

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More