Over 2.72 lakh volunteers clean close to 11,000 religious centres during Independence Day cleanliness initiative of SDKDRP

Over 2.72 lakh volunteers cleaned the premises of nearly 11,000 religious centres under the “Namma Ooru, Namma Shdraddha Kendra” initiative of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) during the Independence Day cleaning drive campaign for a week across Karnataka.

During the 10th year of Independence Day cleanliness campaign, the project had identified 10,844 religious centres for a makeover. Volunteers comprising SKDRDP members, members of managing committees of religious centres, members of Janajagruthi and Navajeevana Samithi, village elders, members of local bodies and members of other organisations participated in the drive to make it a success, SKDRDP Executive Director S.S. Anil Kumar said.

During the drive, volunteers cleared shrubs and other vegetation grown around the religious centres--temples, mosques and churches and cleaned inside the premises of centres as well as water bodies around these centres, including Kalyanis, ponds and tanks. Special attention was given to ensure hygiene in public toilets, streets and the village/ town concerned. Volunteers also urged managements of such religious centres to denounce use of plastic bags and instead use cloth bags.

Mr. Kumar said the Project, under the guidance of Pattadhikari D Veerendra Heggade, had decided to create awareness about cleanliness in every aspect of life through the campaign that was initiated nine years ago. Accordingly, cleanliness campaigns were being undertaken twice a year, Makara Sankranthi and the Independence Day across the state.

Mr. Heggade believed that religious centres have also been the places conveying the messages of life and how to lead righteous life. If they were kept clean, a resounding message would go to society to maintain cleanliness all around, the Pattadhikari believed, he said. For this, members of SKDRDP and other like-minded organisations were roped in thereby making the initiative a mass movement, Mr. Kumar said.

He said Mr. Heggade wished every citizen should vouch to maintain cleanliness of religious centres that transcends in to society.