GOKARNA 2017
SHIVARATRI
We have organized an outreach program, aiming to reduce the general waste and the discarded plastic bottles with the following actions:
- distributing handbills, posters, pamphlets
- making loud announcements on waste and plastic waste
- exhibiting an inspiring statue
- conceiving and fixing “emergency bins” to collect plastic bottles
- requesting temples to do not distribute, nor accept, plastic bags on their premises
RAMANAVAMI
Rama navami
After the failure for a clean Gokarna Utsava and a clean Shivaratri, we decided to try a Rama navami clean this year.
As we all know, this event leaves behind an extremely heavy load of plastics (bags, cups, wrappers, straws, etc).
Since it is a circumscribed event, in a circumscribed area we requested the GP President to involve the Gram Panchayat members of that ward to be present and orally explain in advance, and during that day, to the vendors around and on the way to the temple, that plastic bags are not allowed and that GP will seize all, that some ngo will call the police for the nuisance (KPA, section 92), that there are fines for trashing, and that the trashers will not be allowed to show next year.
We requested her also to provide for the occasion some emergency bins for that stretch of the road.
As earlier, our President did not reply. She did not show there, nor none of the elected members contributed in any way for the Clean Rama Navami.
However the nice welcome to this venture from Shri Ambekar and his son Prajwal, pujaris responsible for Rama Temple, granted a good starting.
There were some supporters and helpers waging for a change.
Khushi Parisara provided posters, handbills, bins, flags, that were profusely fixed around the Temple and on the road leading to the temple.
The bins
The emergency bin for plastic bottles ready
Laxmi preparing the posters
Fixing some cleanliness prayers
The plastic bottles bin at its final place
The posters on the road
Another emergency bin for collecting plastic bottles
Shri Ram, Jay Ram, Jay Ram
Cleanliness is the root of Dharma
Keep clean and get God’s blessings
The vendors got installed
Visitors have come, still few with the puja items on plastic carry bags
But despite the intense movement, still at night, the next day early morning, the place appeared to be like this:
The waste was properly kept on the dustbins provided
Even the sugar cane vendor left his place clean:
The same as the ice cream stall, that usually produces a disgusting amount of trash all around:
