“Go green, say no to plastic”, “There is only one earth, save it from plastic”. These were among the slogans that children from many schools and colleges raised during a march supporting the ban on the use of plastic which came into effect in Mangalore taluk from Thursday.
A large number of students took part in the jatha to educate people about the ban imposed on use of plastic carry bags, cups and sheets. It was organised by the district administration and Mangalore City Corporation.
Incessant rains delayed the start of the jatha by nearly 30 minutes. Students gathered in good numbers at the Mangala Stadium from where the march began. They joined midway the other procession that was organised to mark the Rajyotsava (State Day) and they all went to the Nehru Maidan, which was the venue of the Rajyotsava Day celebration. The jatha was led by the Scouts and Guides’ troupe. They were followed by a publicity van of a newly launched jewellery store that carried a big poster about ban on the use of plastic. A person in the van was explaining about the ban even as Kuch Kariye …from the Hindi flick Chak De India that was being belted out all along the route.
Students from Sanjeevini Nursing Institute, who wore white T-shirts and sported green ribbons on their necks, marched raising slogans. Students from Canara College, Alva's College, Father Mullers’ Medical College, M.V. Shetty College, and Yenepoya University also participated. A good number of National Cadet Corps cadets were part of the procession.
A unique tableaux of Mangalore City Corporation about the ban on plastic and connected to anti-malaria campaign was also a part of the procession. District in-charge Minister C.T. Ravi inaugurated the jatha . He sought the cooperation of the people in implementing the ban on the use of plastic in Mangalore taluk. To start with, the ban was on use of plastic carry bags, plastic cups, and other material of plastic used to cover eatables, he said. Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly N. Yogish Bhat, Deputy Commissioner N.S. Channappa Gowda, zilla panchayat chief executive officer K.N. Vijay Prakash, and MCC Commissioner Harish Kumar participated in the jatha .
