Mangaluru: More than 500 students, residents, women, youth and members of community organisations joined a cleanliness drive at Sasihithlu Beach on Friday, collecting around 12.8 tonnes of plastic and other waste.
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Haleangady GP development officer Sayeesh Chowta said the clean-up would be followed by regular drives, with two cleanliness drives planned every month throughout the year with the support of local organisations and educational institutions. Alva’s Education Foundation trustee Vivek Alva said keeping public spaces clean required participation from citizens, and could not be left to local institutions alone. The drive, organised to mark Gandhi Jayanti by Haleangady gram panchayat, Alva’s Education Foundation and local organisations, covered different stretches of the shoreline. The waste collected included plastic, glass, rubber and thermocol, which was brought together and segregated for disposal. He stressed the need to reduce waste, segregate it at source and dispose of it responsibly, particularly to prevent plastic waste from affecting the coastal ecosystem and marine life. Students from Alva’s Education Foundation, Excellent College, Moodubidire, and Rotary educational institutions participated along with local residents and community groups. Youth and women’s groups, former students’ associations, social organisations, temple-associated groups, the Dharmasthala Rural Development Project, Lions Club, Billava Samaja Seva Sangha, Reliance Association, Sanjeevini federation, anganwadi and ASHA workers and other local groups took part. The GP, with support from local donors, provided gloves, caps, garbage bags and other equipment. Drinking water, refreshments and sherbet were provided to the volunteers. Download the TOI App.