200 volunteers take part in cleanliness drive

More than 200 volunteers participated in a cleanliness drive organised by the Ramakrishna Mission at Ambedkar Circle and Balmatta main road on Sunday. The drive was flagged off by Corporate Vinayraj and Sunil Shetty, President of Jeppu Bunts' Association, in the presence of Swami Jitakamananda.

All the 200 volunteers were divided into 6 groups. Members of Jeppu Bunts' Association cleaned the area from KMC hospital to Collectors' Gate along with the footpaths and road dividers. Students of St Aloysius College, under the guidance of lecturer Premalatha Shetty, cleaned both sides of the road from Ambedkar Circle to Light House hill. Vittaldas Prabhu and Shubhoday Alva led a group of volunteers each in cleaning the roads leading from Ambedkar Circle to Hampankatta area along with the adjoining places.

Heaps of sand on Balmatta Road were removed with the help of an earth remover and the place was levelled, creating space for parking of vehicles. More than three tippers of sand, stones and dirt were cleared from the location.

A triangular area near Ambedkar circle was filled up with filth and dirt. Members of Hindu Warriors removed the heap and repaired the road. The steps used by the pedestrians were worn out and needed repair. Using labourers, these steps have been repaired. BHV Prasad, GGM of MRPL actively volunteered in this drive. Another group of volunteers painted the bus shelter and the railings by the side of the road. Sujith Pratap and others cleaned the footpath and the bus shelter in the Ambedkar Circle and painted the railings, giving them a facelift.

A team of volunteers visited shops and urged the shopkeepers to keep their surroundings clean. While the cleanliness drive was on, a person threw garbage in the cleaned area and the volunteers got the place cleaned by him. More than 200 illegal flex banners and buntings were removed from light poles on the road dividers.

Students of St Aloysius college visited nearly 200 households in the area and distributed awareness pamphlets and urged them to keep their surroundings clean.

The Swaccha Puttur phase 2 initiative was flagged off by town municipal members Rajesh Banner and Pulu Ishwara Bhat. The cleanliness drive was carried out in and around the mini Vidhana Soudha.