Mercedes-Benz clears 46,000 kg of waste, 85 lakh litres of pooled water from Nandi Hills as part of five-year project

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Context:

Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India Pvt. Ltd. (MBRDI) said it cleared 46,000 kg of waste, collected 85 lakh litres of pooled water, and constructed 11 check dams at Nandi Hills in the last five years.

Clean-Green Nandi project:

A 5 year project, initiated by Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India Pvt. Ltd. (MBRDI) in 2018.
Aimed at restoring the natural splendor of Nandi Hills, Karnataka.
These efforts have resulted in a 3% reduction in plastic generation at Nandi Hills.
The project was in response to the heightened tourist footfall at the hills, which led to pressing issues of pollution, soil erosion, and deforestation, resulting in the drying up of life-sustaining rivers and the accumulation of plastic waste in the area.
The project cleared 60 acres of lantana, an invasive weed that poses a critical threat to biodiversity, and empowered women to earn sustainable livelihoods through a self-help group.

Nandi hills:

Nandi Hills is an ancient hill station built by the Ganga Dynasty in the Chikkaballapurdistrict of Karnataka state.
The hills are near the town Nandi.
In traditional belief, the hills are the origin of the Arkavathy river,Ponnaiyar River, Palar River,Papagni River and Penna River.
The first ever SAARC summit hosted by India was held at Nandi Hills in 1986.
It was also used by Tipu Sultan as a summer retreat.
The hill is notable for the peculiarity of Hypericum mysorense: a species of flowering & medicinal plant found at high elevations in the Western Ghats of India and the mountains of Sri Lanka.