UDUPI: Streets, tourist spots, mountains, river banks and historical places in Karkala, which had lost some sheen due to careless dumping of plastic waste and other non-biodegradable items, are slowly glowing again. What they needed was a sustained cleaning drive by those who cared.
Karkala, sprawling at the base of the Western Ghats in Udupi district, is on the pilgrim route, and attracts many tourists, both religious and regular. And reckless ones who leave garbage behind. It took a group of committed and passionate volunteers to start a cleaning mission in June 2019, to bring Karkala back to its pristine self. It will be three years next month, yet the resolute volunteers have only grown in dedication, and put in more than 224 hours to clean their town and taluk, working for 112 weeks.
Volunteers of Swachh Karkala Brigade, a group of like-minded citizens, are striving to make Karkala taluk litter-free. They organise cleaning drives every Sunday, from 6.30am to 8.30am, on public roads, highways and forests. The volunteers have pledged to give 100 hours a year to free their town and taluk from the garbage menace.
The team has so far organised 112 clean-up drives and removed about 500 tonnes of garbage. They have also built cost-effective and efficient dustbins from scratch, and installed more than 100 such handmade dustbins in and around Karkala taluk. Many dustbins have been installed in schools, at autorickshaw stands, bus stops and government offices.
MK Vipultej, member of Swachh Karkala Brigade, told The New Sunday Express that a clean revolution, brought about by Ramakrishna Mission in Mangaluru, and the Yuva Brigade, inspired their team to bring about a transformation in Karkala.
‘‘Our town abuts the foothills of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Karkala is also home to several historic landmarks, ancient pilgrim centres, rivers and forests, attracting tourists from all over the world. But our town was no exception to the problem of public littering. Alarmed by the massive influx of trash in public spaces, rivers, on roads and mountains, we pledged to give 100 hours a year to overcome this menace. The clarion call of Swachh Bharat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also inspired us to take up the mission,” he said. Rajendra A Amin, an entrepreneur and member of Swachh Karkala Brigade, says the mission continues to motivate all members of the brigade, who didn’t know each other earlier. ‘’We came together for a noble cause and got to know one another,’’ he said.
Execution is simple. Amin said members visit and inspect areas which need to be cleaned, and finalise the area. Posters are made with details and shared on social media pages like Facebook and Instagram, and on WhatsApp groups. Members contact volunteer teams of the particular area where cleaning is to be done and they inform their municipal councillors, panchayat members and Panchayat Development Officers, seeking support for the cleaning drive.
On Saturday, the day before the cleaning drive, group members are assigned jobs like getting gloves, trash collection bags, cleaning tools, first aid kits, dustbins, awareness posters and other items required for Sunday’s cleanliness drive, he added.
There are policemen, ex-servicemen, professors, teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, students, agriculturalists, photographers, among other professionals who work as volunteers for Swachh Karkala Brigade. The brigade has also initiated a programme to beautify public spaces by transforming old and dilapidated walls in public places with graffiti depicting rich Indian heritage, Tulu culture, the importance of Swachh Bharat and environment protection.
Pledged to give 100 hours a year to their town and taluk
SUCCESS STORY
Started in June 2019, Swachh Karkala Brigade has dedicated more than 224 hours to cleaning Karkala town and taluk in 112 weeks