Mangaluru: Taking a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachch Bharat Abhiyan, launched on Gandhi Jayanti, the Diocese of Mangalore celebrated Karnataka Rajyotsava Day by kick-starting a "Nanna Kasa, Nanna Javabdari "(My waste, My responsibility) campaign on Saturday.
Thousands of Christians from the Diocese took a pledge to participate in a cleanliness drive across the district on the occasion. Mangaluru Bishop, the Most Rev, Dr Aloysious Paul D’Souza inaugurated the campaign by putting away the wrapper of sweets distributed to mark Karnataka Rajyotsava Day in the pocket of his cassock and making a telling comment against littering.
He also symbolically cleaned the road and filled a gunny bag with the garbage near Fr Muller Hospital Saturday morning, accompanied by Mayor Mahabala Marla and MLC, Ivan D’Souza.
“This is a special day for us. I have asked 114 parish covering 2.50 lakh people of our Diocese to take part in this campaign," the Bishop said in his address, adding that this was the community’s contribution to the Swachch Bharat campaign and called on the people to keep their houses and surroundings clean.
“We have served society in various fields like education and health. And now this too is important. The cleanliness drive will continue beyond today. We will make all effort to see that Mangaluru city tops in cleanliness,” he said.
This will continue till January 26 next year, when lots will be drawn from among the names of participants and the winners given attractive prizes.
