The surroundings of Mangaluru Central Railway Station, which were stinking with trash and filth, got a facelift on Sunday after volunteers of the Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan of Ramakrishna Mission undertook the 7th Shramadan of the Abhiyan’s fifth phase on Sunday.
Shivashankara Murthy, senior railway health officer, and G. Ananth Prabhu, adviser to Vikas Pre-University College, flagged off the drive in the presence of campaign co ordinator Swami Ekagamyananda and others. Dr. Murthy said cleanliness and good health are connected and Swachh Bharath can become a reality only when cleanliness is considered a virtue.
Mr. Prabhu said such Abhiyans will become meaningful only if citizens act responsibly. Station manager Ramkumar, deputy manager Kishan Bangera, RPF inspector Binoy and others were present.
About 300 volunteers, including participants of the Residential Youth Camp Prerana, participated in the drive in six groups. While one team cleaned the flanks of the road between the station and Town Hall, another cleaned the flanks of Attavara Road. The third group handled Milagres Road, the fourth the premises of Konkan Railway’s Camp Office, the fifth one the lower parking area in front of the station, and the sixth one the upper parking area.
The volunteers thoroughly cleaned an area that had become a dumping ground and a public urinal by the side of the road from the station towards Attavara. A similar spot on the Town Hall road too was cleaned.
Airport Road
NSS volunteers from Karnataka (Government) Polytechnic, under the guidance of Ramakrishna Mission, carried out Shramadan on Airport Road. KPT Circle, bus shelter and road flanks were cleaned. The Swachh Gram Abhiyan of the Mission, being carried out in association with the zilla panchayats of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, was conducted in several villages, including Balila, Hebri, Shirva, Amasebail, Jokatte, Padumarnadu, Madamakki, Barkur, and Padupanambur.
