<p>Mysuru: Mega Mysuru Dasara celebrations not just drew a huge influx of tourists and high footfall to all events and public places to enjoy the grandeur, but also generated mega waste during these 11 festive days. </p><p>Thanks to 2,500 Pourakarmikas of Mysuru who have worked in three shifts round the clock and cleared the waste after people enjoyed events, littered waste in public places and dustbins. Pourakarmikas have strived to keep up the image of clean city Mysuru as part of Swaccha Dasara initiative taken up by Mysore City Corporation.</p><p>The Pourakarmikas have collected 413.7 tonne additional waste from September 22 to October 2. They have collected 135 tonnes of wet food waste and 1020kg plastic and other dry waste at Aharamela alone during these 11 days, according to Assistant Executive Engineer (Environment) K S Mruthyunjaya. </p>.11-day Mysuru Dasara celebrations pull huge tourist inflow .<p>He added that, already Mysuru city generates about 550 tonnes of solid waste per day. During Dasara on an average they collected 40 tonnes additional waste per day from the venues of various events and public places on the first ten days. At Aharamela alone, they have collected 7.5 tonne wet waste and food 4.5 tonne dry waste at food mela on each day, he said. </p><p>On Vijayadashami day alone, people not just enjoyed magnificent Dasara Jamboo Savari they had even left behind 56 tonnes of waste, which pourakarmikas have worked over night and collected on the procession route. </p><p>MCC's 1997 pourakarmikas (including 970 women) and 443 vehicles strived in their regular shift from 6am to 2pm. MCC pressed 500 additional workers and 60 additional vehicles, to handle additional waste generated during the festivities in two additional shifts from September 20 to October 5. Among them 250 workers strived from 2pm to 10pm, and 250 workers worked from 10pm to 6am to clean up the city in the venues of events and public places. The regular 443 vehicles and 60 additional vehicles were used in two new additional shifts by changing drivers.</p><p>Mysuru city was declared as the cleanest city among the cities with a population between 3 to 10 lakh in Swachh Super League 2024-25, recently. So, in order to protect heritage city’s reputation as cleanest city and to promote sustainable festive celebrations, during the peak tourist season, MCC led by Commissioner Shaikh Tanveer Asif, Assistant Executive Engineer (Environment) K S Mruthyunjaya, Chief Health officer Dr N P Venkatesh had taken Swachha Dasara initiatives to monitor and ensure cleanliness during Dasara. Hence additional man power and vehicles were deployed, to prevent waste scattering on venues of events, heritage precincts, tourist hot spots, streets and public spaces. Few NGO members and volunteers also joined. </p><p>Temporary street vendors, hawkers and food stalls at most of the venues added additional waste. Despite awareness people used single use plastics and littered waste, officials said. </p><p>Mysuru district in-charge minister H C Mahadevappa, Tourism stakeholders like Mysore hotel owners' association president C Narayangowda, and Mysureans have lauded the efforts of Paurakarmikas. </p><p>Diya, a student, felt, "Change should begin with us. Each of us should become cleanliness ambassadors to keep up the image of clean city and protect the environment of our green city Mysuru. Instead of littering waste covers of eatables and plastic bottles anywhere, people can keep them in their bags and discard in dustbins at public places or at home."</p><p>Bhamy V. Shenoy, Founding Working President, MGP, said, "Just like the grandeur of dasara events and dazzling night-time illumination, clean garbage free roads also promote the city's image in the global arena. MGP has launched the initiative to involve school students to act as public eye ambassadors, to keep our city clean as an act of love for society and the proud city. Already 19 schools have joined the initiative. They are displaying boards and spreading two mantras-"do not litter, when others litter, stop them. This initiative can be adopted by the Government in the entire state."</p>
<p>Mysuru: Mega Mysuru Dasara celebrations not just drew a huge influx of tourists and high footfall to all events and public places to enjoy the grandeur, but also generated mega waste during these 11 festive days. </p><p>Thanks to 2,500 Pourakarmikas of Mysuru who have worked in three shifts round the clock and cleared the waste after people enjoyed events, littered waste in public places and dustbins. Pourakarmikas have strived to keep up the image of clean city Mysuru as part of Swaccha Dasara initiative taken up by Mysore City Corporation.</p><p>The Pourakarmikas have collected 413.7 tonne additional waste from September 22 to October 2. They have collected 135 tonnes of wet food waste and 1020kg plastic and other dry waste at Aharamela alone during these 11 days, according to Assistant Executive Engineer (Environment) K S Mruthyunjaya. </p>.11-day Mysuru Dasara celebrations pull huge tourist inflow .<p>He added that, already Mysuru city generates about 550 tonnes of solid waste per day. During Dasara on an average they collected 40 tonnes additional waste per day from the venues of various events and public places on the first ten days. At Aharamela alone, they have collected 7.5 tonne wet waste and food 4.5 tonne dry waste at food mela on each day, he said. </p><p>On Vijayadashami day alone, people not just enjoyed magnificent Dasara Jamboo Savari they had even left behind 56 tonnes of waste, which pourakarmikas have worked over night and collected on the procession route. </p><p>MCC's 1997 pourakarmikas (including 970 women) and 443 vehicles strived in their regular shift from 6am to 2pm. MCC pressed 500 additional workers and 60 additional vehicles, to handle additional waste generated during the festivities in two additional shifts from September 20 to October 5. Among them 250 workers strived from 2pm to 10pm, and 250 workers worked from 10pm to 6am to clean up the city in the venues of events and public places. The regular 443 vehicles and 60 additional vehicles were used in two new additional shifts by changing drivers.</p><p>Mysuru city was declared as the cleanest city among the cities with a population between 3 to 10 lakh in Swachh Super League 2024-25, recently. So, in order to protect heritage city’s reputation as cleanest city and to promote sustainable festive celebrations, during the peak tourist season, MCC led by Commissioner Shaikh Tanveer Asif, Assistant Executive Engineer (Environment) K S Mruthyunjaya, Chief Health officer Dr N P Venkatesh had taken Swachha Dasara initiatives to monitor and ensure cleanliness during Dasara. Hence additional man power and vehicles were deployed, to prevent waste scattering on venues of events, heritage precincts, tourist hot spots, streets and public spaces. Few NGO members and volunteers also joined. </p><p>Temporary street vendors, hawkers and food stalls at most of the venues added additional waste. Despite awareness people used single use plastics and littered waste, officials said. </p><p>Mysuru district in-charge minister H C Mahadevappa, Tourism stakeholders like Mysore hotel owners' association president C Narayangowda, and Mysureans have lauded the efforts of Paurakarmikas. </p><p>Diya, a student, felt, "Change should begin with us. Each of us should become cleanliness ambassadors to keep up the image of clean city and protect the environment of our green city Mysuru. Instead of littering waste covers of eatables and plastic bottles anywhere, people can keep them in their bags and discard in dustbins at public places or at home."</p><p>Bhamy V. Shenoy, Founding Working President, MGP, said, "Just like the grandeur of dasara events and dazzling night-time illumination, clean garbage free roads also promote the city's image in the global arena. MGP has launched the initiative to involve school students to act as public eye ambassadors, to keep our city clean as an act of love for society and the proud city. Already 19 schools have joined the initiative. They are displaying boards and spreading two mantras-"do not litter, when others litter, stop them. This initiative can be adopted by the Government in the entire state."</p>