JOIN USLet’s do it Mysore, a campaign launched to rid the city of waste on Sunday, concluded on a successful note, collecting 19,784 bags of waste — nearly 200 loads.
The campaign, flagged off by medical education and district in-charge minister S A Ramdas, bishop of Mysore Thomas Antony Vazhapilly along with deputy commissioner Ramegowda, Narasimharaja MLA Tanveer Sait among other dignitaries in front of Kote Anjaneya Swamy temple, witnessed 31,890 volunteers simultaneously involved in the job in 65 wards of the city.
S V Venkatesh, one of the facilitators of the campaign, told Deccan Herald, though the campaign lasted nearly four hours beginning from 6.45 am, the task was accomplished without any glitches. It has set the tone for sustainability, to plan a similar exercise in a week or two.
Taking care of every minute details, two mobile call centres (facilitators on phone) were arranged to gather data and alert the volunteers. The volunteers — 18,730 men and 12,160 women, dressed in white t-shirts, hand gloves and masks given by the organisers — went around the allotted areas, collecting waste. The volunteers were a mix of young and old, representing 82 companies, 30 clubs and organisations and 37 educational institutions. There were engineering, MBA and other students.
Venkatesh said as many as 60 lorries and tractors, arranged by lorry owners association, for the day helped transport the waste. In all 191 vehicle trips were conducted to load and unload the bags at MCC owned excel plant at Sewage Farm in Vidyaranyapuram.
Newly-elected corporators too extended their support for the initiative, by actively taking part in it.
Apart from Mysore, volunteers representing organisations in Mandya and Hunsur too enthusiastically participated in the campaign.
A Jain organisation had arranged breakfast for 2,500 pourakarmikas. A total of 10 ambulances, sponsored by respective hospitals, were stationed in nine wards to tend to emergencies, if any.