Mangaluru: Nitte Institute of Communication (NICO), in association with Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) and the Green Brigade, is all set to launch an awareness drive on waste in Mangalore from October 24 to November 25, 2016.
“It is important to educate about waste segregation to the general public. We are starting this process with students and young adults.” said Prof. Raviraj, Head of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Nitte University, addressing a press conference called to the mark the launch of the campaign on Wednesday.
“It is not a day’s event. It is a campaign; a people’s movement to raise awareness toward better management of waste in Mangalore. It is an earnest effort to prevent a crisis that other cities seem to be inching closer to. It is an affirmative action so that the city will never find itself reacting to a problem a little too late. We are urging people to participate in this campaign for the sake of city’s future,” said Laxmi Shenoy, Assistant Professor, NICO, convenor of the campaign.
Jeet Milan, whose Mangalore Green Brigade has been spearheading pro-environment initiatives in the city, expressed his support. “Smart city needs smarter waste management. Smart city, smart people and smarter waste management. In this regard it is heartening sign that the young have taken the initiative,” he said.
In a major boost to the campaign, the Mangalore City Corporation Commissioner Mohammed Nazir has agreed to endorse the campaign.
Apart from Green Brigade, APD foundation too has partnered with the camapaign. “Mangaluru city generates more than 300 tonnes of waste each day and almost 85 percent goes to the landfill. Proper Solid Waste Management (SWM) is the door to a clean and healthy environment and it’s imperative we understand the importance of segregating our waste,” said Abdullah A Rehman, founder, APD Foundation.
The campaign will include performances, talks, planting drives, games, a poster making competition along with a range of efforts to bring attention to the issue.
The events are designed to educate the public about the most important aspect of waste management i.e., segregation at source. The Mangaluru City Corporation’s (MCC) recently launched policy on waste segregation is going to be one of the major areas of focus as citizen participation is crucial for its successful implementation. The drive seeks to inform the public about different kinds of segregation of wastes into biodegradable and non-biodegradable, liquid and solid categories and the necessity of it all.
NICO has also planned to conduct a skit on waste segregation at the Mangalore jail, railway station, Sulthan Battery, District Court, Bengre community. The same play will also be taken to several schools and colleges across the city. The campaign also aims to reach out to Mangalore residents by holding fun games at malls and public places in the city with the express intent of raising awareness.
About NICO Brigade:
A team comprising of students, established for the purpose of creating awareness about environmentalism and waste management in Mangalore. The team will be actively going around Mangalore city promoting waste segregation through innovative presentations, skits and activities. Working in different committees, they have been striving towards making Mangalore a cleaner and smarter city.
Nitte Institute of Communication:
With an objective to create a new class of media professionals who believe in universal access to welfare and to develop a deeply reflective understanding of India, Nitte University launched Nitte Institute of Communication [NICO]. The Institute is introducing a clutch of innovative UG and PG programs in media and communication. With its fresh approach at designing programs that blend theory and practice, Nitte University’s NICO is set to jostle amongst the most popular destinations for media studies in India.
