Puttur: In the Kudmaru area of Kadaba taluk, two young men are cleaning the roadsides by picking up trash and waste every day. This cleanliness "vow" has now surpassed 42 days and is still going strong.
What began as a service while they were Ayyappa devotees has now continued as a daily resolution.
Satish Arruvara and Akshay K.V. Bareppadi, residents of Kudmaru village in Kadaba taluk, are raising awareness about the necessity of a clean environment and the role of the public by picking up litter at roadsides, bridges, and places where fairs and festivals are held.
How it started
Akshay is a farmer, while Satish is a private employee. Last December, both wore the Sabarimala Mala and were observing the religious vow. During this period, they stayed at the Shantimogaru temple.
Every morning, they would wake up at sunrise to complete their prayers and other rituals. Since there was time left before the sun fully rose and the daily routine began, the duo decided to utilize this time for cleanliness work.
One hour reserved
They carry out the cleaning work between 6 am and 8 am. The initiative, which started near the bridge built across the Kumaradhara river at Shantimogaru, has now spread to Kudmaru village. If they have urgent work or are out of town, they skip the duty, but on all other days, they make it a point to attend. Their intention is to continue this work in other areas once the cleaning of the entire village is complete.
Gram Panchayat transport
In the last 42 days, they have collected more than 150 sacks of garbage. They primarily pick up non-biodegradable plastic and other waste from the roadsides and gather it. Sometimes, the waste is transported in Satish's car to a specific location and kept in sacks. From there, the Gram Panchayat waste collection vehicles take it away. Locals and shopkeepers provide sacks to these two for collecting the trash.
Our goal is only awareness
"I realized through this cleanliness campaign that trash should not be thrown on the roadsides. The mindset that environmental cleanliness is someone else's job and not our responsibility must change. If everyone resolves not to throw trash, the problem won't arise. Our only intention is to create awareness in this regard." - Akshay K.V. Bareppadi
- Kiran Prasad Kundadka