‘Mission Clean Malaprabha’ Launched with Clean-up and Awareness Drive

Multi-location cleanup in Khanapur and Belagavi Talukas sees enthusiastic participation by citizens from all walks of life

Parisarakkagi Naavu Belagavi Unit citizen’s Initiative of environmental enthusiasts from Belagavi and Khanapur Talukas along with collaborating groups took the first step towards their collective vision of a clean and perennial Malaprabha -including its feeder streams and tributaries. Ugam Se Sangam Tak – Aviral Nirmal Nirantar Sandar Hamari Nadi Malaprabha

A river clean-up drive and an awareness rally were organized on the occasion. About 500 citizens including local school children and college youth, professionals, homemakers, senior citizens, and others from all walks of life arrived from surrounding areas to participate in the event at 8 different locations.

The focus was on cleaning the river bank and exposed river bed of solid non-degradable waste and raising public awareness on the perils of polluting river water systems. For this purpose adequate arrangements of rakes and collection bags, safety gloves, first aid kits were made. Garbage of every kind and description was a shock to most of the volunteers who came there.
Discarded religious articles, plastic, rotting cloth, alcohol bottles, broken glass, cremation remains, occult practice articles to name a few were collected. It was an extremely educating experience to volunteers as well as the organizers.

Senior social workers Dileep Kamat and Dr Shivaji Kaganikar expressed their shock and displeasure regarding how we treat our rivers as dumps. Many prominent citizens who were part of the clean-up reminisced about how different the river has become in the past few decades since synthetic clothing and plastics entered the markets; industries were set up close to the river; growing of townships; and, change in our agricultural systems.
Local youth who do regular clean ups on the banks and young girls who come to the river to wash clothes at the Khanapur Ghat clean-up location said it is impossible to tell the public not to pollute the river. Nobody listens and on the other hand the public picks up an altercation with them so they feel it is a pointless exercise and feel helpless as no amount of clean-up has shown permanent results so far.

However all local organizations that the Parisirakkagi Naavu members interacted with felt the need to think of an amicable way forward to the problem of river pollution and the need for a dynamic solution to the solid waste pollution and the improvement of the quality of its waters. The consensus arrived at was that unless the public self-regulates itself and the local people take a stand for disciplined access to the river not only Malaprabha but all river bodies would face the same fate as the Malaprabha and its tributaries
The garbage was collected in trucks and tractors and taken to the waste treatment plant at Turmuri in an awareness drive from Peeranwadi Cross led by the local bike riders’ group of Belagavi. It attracted the attention of the general public – especially young college goers on College Road and club road who spontaneously took pictures. Many locals of Hindalga – Uchagoan areas served the rally participants with cool water.

Locals from Kankumbi, Habanatti, Betne, Amte, Jamboti, Chapoli, Olmani, Ghoshanatti – Bedi, Kattanbhavi-Kadoli, Thivoli, Asoga, Kalmani, Torali, Kusmalli, Chorla, Santibastawad, Peeranwadi, Jayanagar, Hunshaynatti, Khadarwadi, Khanapur, Rumewadi etc., were present at designated sites by 8 am.
Social workers from Santibastawad, Khanapur, Belagavi; Parisarakkagi Naavu Hubli-Dharwad Unit; Jagruta Mahila Vokkuta, Ghoshanatti; Bhrastachar Nirmulan Parivar, Teachers and students of Tarun Bharat Society’s Baburao Thakur Pre University College, Jamboti; Bhartesh Education Trust – Global Business School, Belagavi; GSS College NSS wing, Belagavi; Ramlingeshwar Devastan Committee, Asoga; Vanadevi Society, Jamboti; Shri Shiv Prathisthan Hindustan – Khanapur, Jamboti, Kusmalli, Asoga,Torali, Kankumbi Units; Shri Chatrapati Shivaji Mandal, Asoga; Shri Swayambu Maruti Malaprabha Teerth Sthan Trust, Habbanatti; Inner Wheel Club of Belgaum and Khanapur; Lions Club, Khanapur; Lakeview Hospital, Belagavi amongst many others participated.
River Clean-up took place at the following sites: Kankumbi Temple, Habannatti Temple, Kusmalli to Jamboti River Bridge, Jamboti to Khanapur Olmani River Bridge, Santibastawad Mangetri Bridge behind VTU, Asoga Temple; CVPI Bridge and Malaprabha Ghat, Khanapur.
Three songs in Kannada, Marati, and Hindi on River Malaprabha were released on social media as part of the event. These have been well received. A similar clean-up drive was taken up at M K Hubli on the 24th.

Parisarakkagi Naavu members take this opportunity to thank each and every one, acknowledged and otherwise, who participated in this event and lent their support and look forward to take up the cause with support from the public and the Government.
For more details kindly visit Mission Clean Malaprabha on Instagram and Facebook.