Ramakrishna Mission – Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan Conducts September 2026 Monthly Cleanliness Drive
Mangaluru: The September 2026 monthly cleanliness drive of the Ramakrishna Mission – Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan was flagged off at Central Library Park, Kadri Mallikatte, by Shri Mandar Kale, General Manager, MRPL-ONGC, and Shashikala, Panchayat Development Officer, Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Grama Panchayat.
Dr Jnaneshwar Pai Maroor, Principal, Nitte Institute of Professional Education; Shri Gopinath Rao, former serviceman of the Indian Army; Shri Satyanarayana K.V.; and Shri Dilraj Alva were present and encouraged the volunteers.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Mandar Kale appreciated the dedication and commitment of the Ramakrishna Mission volunteers towards cleanliness and civic responsibility. He also highlighted MRPL-ONGC’s association with the Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan since its inception.
Speaking on the occasion, Shashikala said that staff members of the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Grama Panchayat had come to Mangaluru to understand the working methods of the Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan and learn effective cleanliness practices.
Inspired by the systematic approach followed by the Ramakrishna Mission, she expressed her intention to adopt suitable practices in B.R. Hills.
Addressing the student volunteers, Dr Jnaneshwar Pai Maroor encouraged them to consider cleanliness and environmental conservation not merely as occasional activities but as an integral part of their daily lives.
Under the guidance of senior volunteers Kamalaksha Pai, Sukumar Saliyan, Damodhar Bhat, Anirudh Nayak and Sachin Shetty, faculty members and students of the Nitte Institute of Professional Education carried out cleanliness activities in and around the Central Library.
The team removed accumulated waste, dry leaves, debris and unwanted banners from the surrounding areas and footpaths, making the premises cleaner, more orderly and suitable for public use.
Faculty members of the Nitte Institute of Hospitality, Mr Rahul Bhat and Mr Joel Lobo, along with their students, cleaned the inner areas of the park. The students removed weeds and overgrown grass and cleaned the walking paths and children’s play area.
Senior volunteers Avinash, Prof. Prakash, Navaneet Shetty, Prajwal and Pratham guided the students during the activity.
Students of the Srinivasa Institute of Aviation, under the guidance of senior volunteers Taranath Alva, Balakrishna Bhat and Nagendra, cleaned the Saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath Memorial located inside the park.
The students scrubbed and removed moss and algae from the walls and other surfaces and used bleaching powder as part of the cleaning process. With the assistance of a water tank, the wall fountain was also thoroughly cleaned.
A special feature of this month’s programme was the participation of staff members of the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Grama Panchayat, under the guidance of the Panchayat Development Officer.
The staff actively participated in the cleanliness activities and interacted with senior volunteers to understand community-based cleanliness initiatives, waste management, and best practices for maintaining public spaces.
They expressed their intention to learn from these experiences and adopt suitable practices in B.R. Hills.
The cleanliness drive was organised by the Ramakrishna Mission – Swachh Mangaluru Abhiyan in association with Swachh Mangaluru Prathishtana, with support from MRPL-ONGC under its Environmental Social Responsibility (ESR) Initiative.