Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal
Bantwal, Jun 10: In a bid to curb the growing menace of waste dumping along the national highway stretch from B C Road to Padil, a dedicated team of volunteers has stepped up with a unique and eye-catching awareness campaign.
The initiative, titled “For cleanliness – You with us, We with you,” was launched on World Environment Day at Pudu gram panchayat. The campaign is being supported by Dakshina Kannada district administration, zilla panchayat, Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), and gram panchayats of Adyar, Pudu, Thumbay, and Kallige, along with the community organisation Hasiru Dala.
Control unit to monitor dumping spots
Waste heaps have become a common sight along roadsides and near national highways, mainly due to irresponsible individuals, including educated residents, dumping garbage brought from home. This has tarnished the visual appeal of not just the highway but even rural roadside stretches. Despite repeated efforts by zilla and gram panchayats, effective regulation has remained elusive.
To tackle the issue, Hasiru Dala’s head Nagaraj had previously undertaken several awareness efforts. Last year, for over three months, he stood every morning from 5.30 am to 9.30 am near Adyar holding a placard to discourage public littering. In 2021, he conducted a similar initiative at the Kalappu stretch near Nethravathi bridge.
Despite such efforts, the problem continued unabated, particularly along the Padil–B C Road stretch. Having identified nearly 20–30 black spots, Nagaraj approached zilla panchayat deputy secretary Jayalakshmi Raykode. This led to the formation of a dedicated Control Unit to monitor illegal waste dumping.
Community teams lead daily awareness drive
The control teams comprise gram panchayat members and Hasiru Dala volunteers. Every day, they hold awareness placards at vulnerable dumping spots from 5 am to 9 am and 6 pm to 10 pm. With support from gram panchayats, more than 20 such teams have been formed, in addition to a special Hasiru Dala team. Plans are underway to involve schools, youth clubs, and local community organisations, encouraging every citizen to participate at least once. The campaign is expected to run for the next three months.
Speaking to the media, Nagaraj said, “We are documenting the various excuses given by those who continue to dump waste. If they don’t change their habits, the panchayats will initiate penal action. We are confident of reducing open dumping by at least 90%.”
Since the volume of dumping is reportedly high between 8 pm and 11 pm, volunteers will also be deployed during those hours.
MP Capt Brijesh Chowta extends support
The campaign gained further attention when Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta spotted Nagaraj standing with his placard beside the highway. Impressed by the initiative, the MP appreciated it on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
“In a time when everyone talks about problems, only a few come forward to solve them. I met Nagaraj, who stood on the roadside in Arkula urging people not to litter. May such conscious citizens be empowered. He is an inspiration to all and working hard to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Clean India,” Capt Chowta wrote.
The success of this campaign, which aims to build a new model for cleanliness and public responsibility, now rests on how well the citizens cooperate and participate.