Mangaluru: The Ramakrishna Mission successfully entered its 25th week of Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan this week. Inaugurating the 25th Abhiyan through lighting the lamp, Swami Nityasthanandaji, Acharya of Ramakrsihna Math highlighted how Indians have neglected hygiene through the centuries and how awareness has to be instilled in the younger generations about the significance of cleanliness.
K Byrappa, Vice Chancellor of Mangalore University stressed on the role of all citizens in assuring a clean India. B K Srivastav, ED of Corporation Bank, wished the gathering and K Laxminarayan, GGM of MRPL, highlighted the role of MRPL in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Satish Bhandary, Dean of Nitte Medical College and Lakshminath Reddy, GM of Corporation Bank, flagged off the 25th drive in the premises of Taluk Panchayat Office in Hampankatta on the 1 November.
About 350 students from Nitte Medical College, Govt. B Ed College, PA Engineering College, members of Nivedita Balaga, Ishwarananda Sevashrama, Sharada Mahila Vrinda, Retd Army officials, devotees, volunteers and well-wishers of the Ashram took part in the drive.
The road leading to Mangalore Central Railway Station near Town Hall in Hampankatta was severely damaged due to poor laying of interlock tiles and it was posing a major problem to the pedestrians as well as motorists. Lot of unused space was lying vacant due to unscientific laying of tiles. Volunteers of Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan using the new tiles and skilled workmanship re-laid the interlock tiles giving a new look to the spot benefiting the public.
Volunteers cleaned the premises of Taluk Panchayat Office in Hampankatta and the footpath leading from Hampankatta Clock Tower towards Nehru Maidan. The compound walls opposite Nehru Maidan were also cleaned. The posters were removed and walls were painted giving them a new look.
The officials of Corporation Bank under the leadership of B K Srivastav cleaned the area in front of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Pandeshwara and removed loads of garbage thus making space for pedestrians.
A direction board was erected at A B Shetty Circle for the convenience of the public.
Volunteers also distributed the Swachh Mangaluru Awareness pamphlets among the residents and public of the Hampankatta and Pandeshwara areas.
Prasad B H V, Sushil Chnadra of MRPL, Mahesh K B, Ramkumar Bekal, Vittaldas Prabhu, Umanath Kotekar, Suresh Shetty, Satish Rao, Harish Achar, Jayakrishna, Ravishankar, Rathna Alva and other eminent people participated in the drive.
MRPL, the principal patron of the event, sponsored the drive.
