Ramakrishna Mission’s Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan Conducts January Cleanliness Drive at Someshwar Beach
Mangaluru: The Ramakrishna Mission Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan continued its efforts to promote cleanliness and environmental responsibility with its January shramadan, held at Someshwar Beach in Mangaluru. The initiative, focused entirely on beach cleaning, aimed to raise awareness about coastal environment protection and the reduction of plastic pollution along the shoreline.
The shramadan was formally inaugurated by Fr Avinash D’Souza of St. Aloysius Kotekar Beeri Campus, alongside senior volunteer Anirudh Nayak, who jointly officiated the commencement of the drive by waving the green flag. Senior volunteers Taranath Alva and Uday K.P. were also present, lending their support to the cause.
In his address, Fr. Avinash D’Souza emphasized the spiritual significance of cleanliness, stating, “Cleanliness is a path that takes us closer to God. Youth must actively participate in such noble initiatives. This service towards protecting nature is extremely important.”
A dedicated team of student volunteers, guided by faculty members Gowthami, Rachana, Mahalakshmi, and Shreesha from St. Aloysius PG Centre, worked diligently to clear the beach of plastic waste, bottles, and non-recyclable debris. Their efforts not only contributed to the aesthetic enhancement of the coastline but also served to educate the public about responsible waste disposal.
Another team, comprising senior volunteers Uday K.P., Taranath Alva, Sridhar, Rajeevi Chandrashekar, Prakash, and Babitha Shetty, collaborated with a group of student volunteers to remove accumulated thermocol, wooden waste, plastics, footwear, bottles, and other waste materials that had washed ashore.
The Ramakrishna Mission encourages all citizens of Mangaluru to participate in future monthly shramadhan as volunteers, contributing to the collective effort of building a cleaner and more responsible city. This month’s initiative was conducted in collaboration with Swacch Mangaluru Prathishtana and received support from MRPL–ONGC under its Environmental Social Responsibility programme.
The waste management staff from the Bantwal Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) played a crucial role in the cleanliness drive. Sachin Shetty, Navaneeth, Varun, Raghavendra, and Harsha coordinated the proper segregation and transportation of the collected waste materials. Representatives from Repurpose Global and Sattva Knowledge Reality Trust also actively participated in the shramadhan, demonstrating a unified commitment to environmental stewardship.