14-05-2025
Zilla Panchayat to deploy volunteers to curb littering on highway flanks
The Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, through the district Swachh Bharat Mission, will undertake a pilot project of deploying teams to prevent the throwing of trash on highway flanks, starting with four gram panchayats along the Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway 75.
Adyar in Mangaluru and Thumbe, Pudu and Kallige gram panchayats in Bantwal taluks were identified for the deployment of the teams to start with, said ZP deputy secretary Jayalakshmi Raikod, on Tuesday. Chairing a meeting to find ways to prevent the littering of highway flanks here, Ms. Raikod said volunteers interested in being part of the brigade may join the initiative.
The ZP has named the initiative 'Swatchategagi Nimmondige Navu; Nammondige Neevu' (Loose translation: For cleanliness, we are with you; you are with us) and would undertake the pilot project for three months.
Each team would comprise at least five volunteers and remain stationed at identified black spots from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the period to identify people throwing trash on highway flanks and dissuade them from doing so. She said the teams would also undertake a sensitisation programme on the occasion.
Participants in the meeting felt that before venturing into waste management on highway flanks, waste generators, including commercial and domestic, should be strictly told to adhere to segregation of waste at source. If waste, segregated into dry and wet, is collected properly, then littering of highway flanks will stop, said an official.
Kallige gram panchayat president Purushottam, Adyar gram panchayat president Abdul Jaleel, Thumbe vice-president Ganesh, Nagaraj Anchan from Hasiru Dala and others were present.
