Volunteers in and around Mangaluru have rallied under the banner “Swachategagi Nammondige Neevu, Nimmondige Naavu”—“Join Us for Cleanliness, We Stand with You”—to curb rampant garbage dumping along the Padil-to-BC Road stretch of National Highway 75. The movement took off on World Environment Day, backed by the Dakshina Kannada district administration, the zilla panchayat, Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), four local gram panchayats, and social-impact group Hasiru Dala.
Last year, Hasiru Dala project manager Nagaraj Raghav Anchan spent three months, dawn to mid-morning, brandishing placards at Adyar to dissuade littering that could poison the Nethravati River. He carried out a similar vigil in 2021 near the Kallapu section of the same river but saw dumping only worsen—20-plus “black spots” now dot the 20-km corridor.
Alarmed, Anchan sought help from zilla panchayat deputy secretary Jayalakshmi Raikod, who has since formed Waste Dumping Control Squads. Each dawn, gram-panchayat members and Hasiru Dala volunteers station themselves at trouble zones, signs in hand, appealing to motorists and residents to dispose of refuse responsibly. Twenty squads are already active; schools, youth clubs, and civic bodies will soon pledge a day’s service to the cause.
Teams record offenders’ explanations, building a case for penalties if habits don’t change. Organisers hope to slash roadside litter by 90 percent within three months and may add evening patrols from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.—the peak dumping window.
Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta noticed Anchan’s placard at Arkula and lauded the initiative on X, promising support as highway-upgrade works begin.
Read Also: