The people of Malampuzha conducted a cleaning drive on Sunday as part of an ongoing Save Malampuzha campaign with the objective of conserving the Malampuzha forest and water resources.
The Forest department, the Biodiversity Management Committee of Akathethara grama panchayat, Malampuzha grama panchayat, National Cadet Corps (NCC) 27 Battalion, Palakkad, Natural History Society of Palakkad, and Sahyadri Nature Organisation of Palakkad joined the drive.
As many as 270 people volunteered in the cleanliness drive. They collected six tonnes of waste, mainly plastic, from Malampuzha, Kava, Kanjikode Road, and South Malampuzha areas. The waste was handed over to the Haritha Karma Sena of Malampuzha grama panchayat.
Palakkad Divisional Forest Officer B. Ranjit, Malampuzha grama panchayat president Radhika Madhavan, Akathethara grama panchayat president Sunita Ananthakrishnan, Walayar Forest Range Officer Ashique Ali, Akathethara Biodiversity Management Committee member Lijo Panangadan, and NCC 27 Battalion Commander Col. Babu spoke.
Apart from Mr. Ashique Ali and Mr. Panangadan, Natural History Society member V.K. Ranju coordinated the drive.
Meanwhile, Puthupperiyaram grama panchayat was declared the first litter-free civic body under Malampuzha block panchayat. Panchayat president P.R. Bindu inaugurated a function, in which the declaration was made. Vice-president K. Unnikrishnan presided over the function.
Health Standing committee chairperson Sunita Sattar delivered the litter-free message.
