Globally acclaimed sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik, who had launched a hunger strike at Puri protesting on the beach pollution, was shifted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar as he fell ill on Thursday
He was taken to a private hospital in the state capital as his condition deteriorated, two days after he began the strike on the beach near Bankimuhan in the seaside town demanding steps be taken to make the area pollution free, sources said.
He had decided to start strike on the beach at highly polluted Bankimuhan area as his request to the Odisha government was not answered.
“I am protesting (sitting on dharna) through my art against beach pollution at Bankimuhan,” he had said in a Twitter post along with the images of his sand art carrying a message “Save Bankimuhan Beach Puri.”
Pattnaik said he that he had communicated to the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik through Twitter trying to draw attention towards the rising pollution at the beach and the need for it be be cleaned.
However, despite the chief minister’s direction to the concerned authorities to keep the beach clean there had been little improvement in the situation.
The artist said he had also created a sand art last month to show the pathetic condition of Bankimuhan beach. and also threatened to stage a dharna if the government fails to take steps to tackle the problem.
Meanwhile, the Puri Municipality has launched a drive to clean up the beach near Bankimuhan and make it pollution free at the earliest.
