In a significant move towards environmental cleanliness, religious leaders in Mangaluru have come together to champion a grassroots campaign against open waste dumping. They identified a critical lack of public awareness as the root cause of the issue and pledged to spearhead a sustained movement for change.
Uniting for Sanitation: The Mantap Meeting
The decisive meeting, centered on the theme ‘Garbage-free villages, disease-free villages,’ was convened at the Sarvodaya Mantap of the Jana Shikshana Trust. It brought together community and faith leaders to formulate a concrete action plan. The gathering unanimously agreed that religious institutions themselves must become the epicenters of a sustained awareness campaign to achieve the goal of sustainable sanitation for all.
Key Resolutions for a Cleaner Mangaluru
The consultative meeting resulted in several firm resolutions aimed at tackling waste management holistically. The primary decision was to implement scientifically sound solid waste management (SWM) systems at all religious centres across the region. Furthermore, the leaders committed to a complete halt on the use of banned single-use plastic within their communities and events.
The action plan extends beyond places of worship. It includes launching continuous public outreach through:
- Door-to-door awareness campaigns.
- Educational programmes for children on sanitation and hygiene.
- Proper maintenance of public sanitation complexes.
- Strict adherence to and promotion of plastic ban laws.
Emphasizing a positive approach, the strategy will focus on awareness as the primary tool rather than penalties, aiming to foster voluntary community participation from the ground up.
Community Efforts and Expert Guidance
The meeting took a moment to appreciate existing efforts, acknowledging community and religious leaders who are already organizing family and religious programmes without using any banned single-use plastic. Expert inputs were provided by District Health Education Officer Jyothi and District Swachhata Ambassador Sheena Shetty. They offered crucial information on sanitation, public health, existing waste management laws, and related government programmes, equipping the leaders with the necessary knowledge for their campaign.
This collective initiative marks a powerful step towards making Mangaluru's villages cleaner and healthier, leveraging the influential platform of religious institutions to drive a lasting behavioral change in waste disposal practices.
