ENVIRONMENT. Monks who took people on a cleanliness drive

With only a few people, Ramakrishna Mission began a 40-week cleanliness drive — ‘Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan’ — in February last year. The intention was to create awareness on keeping the city and the surrounding clean.

On February 14, the 40th such drive will be conducted in Mangaluru. From just a few, over 50 organisations, NGOs, corporates, colleges, and members of different faiths and political parties are now part of this movement.

Swami Jitakamananda, Secretary of the Mission in Mangaluru, said that the ‘Swachh Mangaluru’ movement has helped create awareness among the citizens on the need for cleanliness.

People, irrespective of their caste, creed and religion, have joined this movement and contributed their service for this cleanliness drive on Sundays.

Students and monks, who cleaned the footpaths, roads, bus-shelters in various parts of the city and took up some minor civil works, have motivated several other people to join the movement.

It was not just the day of the drive that mattered for the organisers. A team, led by Atmaroopa Chaitanya of Ramakrishna Mission in Mangaluru, planned the location for each of the 39 drives so far, and mobilised volunteers. The plan was put into action on the day of the drive with the help of volunteers. Dilraj Alva, a volunteer, has participated in all cleanliness drives so far.

He plays crucial role in organising logistics apart from actively participating in the activities.

Ganesh Karnik, Member of Legislative Council of Karnataka and one of the volunteers, said that he has been part of this campaign from the fourth drive. He spends Sundays on ‘Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan’, if he is in Mangaluru. Satish Rao is a psychiatrist from a private medical college in the city. Apart from participating, he has been motivating his students to organise such events. He said the ‘Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan’ has provided a platform for people like him to work on a mission.

Swami Jitakamananda said that ‘Swachh Mangaluru’ has created a unique module that is being replicated at several places and by several institutions.

He said that several people want this drive to continue even after February 14. Considering this, Ramakrishna Mission is planning to initiate the second phase from October this year.

Around 40 groups from different parts of the city will take up 400 such cleanliness drives in different parts of the city over a period of one year. The blueprint for this will be ready soon, he said.

M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Minister for Urban Development, will be the chief guest for the 40th cleanliness drive in the 40-week ‘Swachh Mangaluru’ movement, Swami Jitakamananda added.

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