The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will host a ‘Plog Run’ to make the city free of plastic waste.
About 5,000 joggers are expected to participate in the event on October 2nd, 2018. The civic body is targeting Guinness book of records by trying to sign up 10,000 participants in the Plog.
Plog run is an activity where joggers run and pick plastic waste on the go.
BBMP has identified 50 designated spots in the city -including Adugodi, CV Raman Nagar, Hoodi, Hebbal, Malleshwaram, Rajajinagar, Uttarahalli, JP Nagar and Padmanabha Nagar - as the starting point for the event.
A 3-kilometer distance will be covered from each of these starting points, and the collected waste will be sent to the dry waste collection centers.
BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad said this is an initiative by the BBMP and few NGOs to create awareness among people to reduce the usage of single-use plastic.
“Recently, we issued an advisory to wedding halls not to use single-use plastic water bottles. Plog run is also an effort to create awareness among people to reduce the use of plastic as there is a huge problem of disposing its waste,” said Prasad.
Organisations involved in sustainable practices such as Go Native, Namma Nimma Cycle Foundation, United Way Bangalore and Let’s Be the Change are associated with the Plog run.
Prasad also said the BBMP will conduct a similar drive on January 1st, 2019 at 100 designated spots.
Chairman of United Way Bengaluru Prashanth Prakash underscored the urgent need to create awareness about the hazards of plastic at the community level.
Anirudh Dutt, founder of the NGO Let’s Be the Change regretted that people do not think twice to throw garbage on streets here, while following the rules abroad. Events like the Plog are efforts to change this attitude.
Interested volunteers can participate in the run by registering at www.bengaluru.plog.run website.
They will be provided with a plogging kit that includes gloves, garbage bags and an apron.