PATHANAMTHITTA: Drawing attention to environmental concerns, Thantri Kandararu Brahmadathan, the youngest of the thantris at Sabarimala said on Sunday that a bit of watchfulness on the part of the pilgrims can help reduce the environmental impact at the hill shrine, especially the Pampa river.

Promoting a ‘green mindset’ among devotees, Brahmadathan, 30, a lawyer specialising in environmental laws, said the difference in water quality will be huge if the devotees simply avoid discarding clothes, soap, shampoo, or other washing products in the river.

“Leaving clothes, soap, or chemical products in the water is not connected to ritual. A little bit of environmental awareness among the devotees can preserve the cleanliness of this sacred place. It will also help future generations coming to the temple to see what the holy river is,” Brahmadathan told TNIE.

The Pampa flowing down the Sabarimala hills serves various purposes connected to the temple.

“Even if we take out the textile waste, the problem with the chemicals already in the river is a cause for worry. An initiative to make the devotees aware of the importance of the river is the need of the hour,” he stressed.

“The river flowing from this hill is reaching elsewhere in the district, where settlements are located. Even my family and Istay on the shores of the Pampa,” he said.

Marking a generational change, Brahmadathan, son of senior thantri Kandararu Rajivaru, recently assumed charge of tantrik duties at the hill shrine as Kandararu Brahmadathan.

After completing LLB from Christ College in Bengaluru, he secured an LLM from Scotland.

He had also practised law in Kottayam for a brief period.