Every morning, Vizianagaram Collector M. Hari Jawaharlal arrives at Pedda Cheruvu, located in the heart of Vizianagaram. He then dons a mask, pulls on a pair of gloves, and spends the next two hours clearing plastic waste from the lake.
Under an initiative called ‘Pedda Cheruvu Shuddi Karyakaram’, the Collector is striving to set an example by personally leading the campaign to restore the lake to its former glory.
Pedda Cheruvu is a historic lake in the town, built nearly 260 years ago on an area of 14 acres. The tank used to be the primary source of drinking water for the residents of the fort town, until a plastic infestation clogged it, turning it into a garbage dump and rendering its water unfit for consumption. Drainage water from all streets of the town now lead to Pedda Cheruvu.
For our future
“We need to protect our water bodies at any cost. Else, our future generations would curse us. I hope the campaign helps people realise the harmful effects of plastic and stop using polythene bags,” Dr. Hari Jawaharlal todl The Hindu .
As part of the campaign, government employees, doctors, advocates, and representatives of various social organisations are participating for the last one week.
“The special drive will continue till the last week of May. Later, removal of garbage and plastic wastage from the middle of the tank will begin with machines. Later, we will create pathways and parks in and around the tank,” he added. The district administration estimated that around ₹17 crore was needed for the entire cleaning of the water body.
Felicitated
Meanwhile, district officials including Joint Collector K.Venkata Ramana Reddy, Joint Collector-II J .Sitarama Rao and others felicitated the Collector for completing one year of service. They said that the district won four national and international awards due to his initiatives and successful implementation of zero-based natural farming and Poshan Abhiyan schemes.
Vizianagaram District Social Welfare Department deputy director Suneel Rajkumar said that the centenary celebrations of the music college and achievement of 98% pass results in Class X and other achievements were made possible due to his planning.
