The Forest Department is mid-way through implementing cleanliness campaign advocated under the Central Government’s Swachh Bharat Mission to achieve total sanitation, in Hasanur division.
The fortnight-long campaign that commenced at the start of this month with an awareness programme for workers and owners of roadside hotels, tea stalls and shop keepers, is continuing with awareness programmes for school children.
According to District Forest Officer of Hasanur division and Deputy Director of STR C.H. Padma, over the next week, the department will extend the awareness programme for eco-watchers and non-government organisations; undertake cleanliness drive on roads passing through the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR); carry out cleaning of temples inside forest area and in fringe villages; and install eco-friendly dust bins through participatory approach, alongside sensitising travellers and drivers and temple priests to cleanliness.
Action plan
The action plan for 15 days prepared based on instructions issued by Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director Udayan envisages maximum people participation for ensuring success.
The initiative, Ms. Padma said, was aligned to the directive from the Central Government and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests during April 2016 that Swachh Bharat Mission must be implemented for achieving total sanitation by October 2, 2019.
The Centre has instructed all government departments to take active part in the cleanliness drive. Incidentally, the duration of action plan for Forest Department encompasses observance of World Environment Day.
During the inauguration of the cleanliness campaign, the department requested roadside hotel and dhaba owners, tea stall owners and shop keepers to cooperate by placing dustbins inside their facilities and to ensure that customers did not throw wastes on the roadsides. They were oriented on the ill effects of discarding solid waste, garbage and plastic in forest area.
On their part, the shopkeepers committed their support and urged local bodies to put in place solid waste disposal mechanism and deploy more number of conservancy workers.
At the end of the campaign, awards would be given to those who cooperated well in the cleanliness campaign. The awards would be given to the best performers among fringe villages, temples, and hotels, the DFO said.
