The coast of Mangalore is set for an image makeover, if all goes as per plan. About 10,000 people from 23 different villages will come together on May 1 to clean the various beaches along the 43-km stretch.
The coast of Mangalore is set for an image makeover, if all goes as per plan. About 10,000 people from 23 different villages will come together on May 1 to clean the various beaches along the 43-km stretch.
“Lot of interest has developed about beaches in the recent past. The tourist inflow has increased manifold and the local people have understood the importance of their beaches, especially the youth belonging to the fishermen community. We already have a number of NGOs comprising youth from fishing villages going on rounds along beachside villages, and educating the old folks about the importance of a clean beach. They also drive home many points, including prevention of open defecation,” said deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, Subodh Yadav.
“The time could not have been better, as each house in all the villages has its own toilet and there is no chance of open defecation anymore. However, in isolated areas it does happen with or without awareness, which is what we want to stop completely,” Yadav said.
No laughing matter
It is not a joke to take up such a large drive in just one day. “It has to be a concerted effort of a large number of people coming together for a cause. Since it is very intensive in nature and a 43-km stretch has to be cleaned in one day, we have divided the villages into five zones and 20 sub-zones and each zone will get mechanical help like trucks, loaders and dumpers. Each person will put in at least three man hours into cleaning the beaches on May 1, which means 30,000 man hours in just one day,” Yadav said.
Expressing concern at the increasing litter in the form of polythene bags, bottles, junk food covers, cigarette stubs, paper plates and other material, thrown by the tourists, Yathish Baikampady, a zonal head of the beach cleaning drive said, “They may not do it on purpose as most of them come from ghat areas. Unfortunately, people from beautiful cities like Bangalore and Mysore do not show the same concern about littering when they arrive on the beaches. They think that the sea will take care of the litter, but, in fact that is a greater danger to the environment than the litter on land.”
The beach cleanliness awareness drive has also set in Malpe and Vadabandeshwara as well.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}