Joint effort to clean Sarovaram

KOZHIKODE: As many as 500 National Service Scheme volunteers of various educational institutions, people's representatives, officials and sanitation workers of the city corporation joined hands in an intensive cleaning drive as part of the Green Carpet of Kerala Tourism on Saturday. The initiative aims at ensuring a massive public participation in maintaining all the tourist destinations clean and healthy. Mayor inaugurated the drive at Sarovaram Bio Park by cleaning its entrance side.

"Finally we have a mechanism to ensure regular clean-ups and prevent uncontrolled accumulation of waste at the major tourist destinations here, which was the need of the hour to attract more visitors," he said. "Gradually all tourist destinations in the district will start implementing the Green Carpet project with our active volunteers. Mass cleaning drives will be arranged at least twice every month until January. Local bodies too will chalk out their action plans to improve the destinations within in their limits."

The District Tourism Promotion Council undertook the initiative with a target of giving a facelift to five tourist destinations - Kappad beach, Vadakara sandbank, Thusharagiri eco-tourism centre, Sarovaram Biopark, and Sargaalaya Crafts Village. Kozhikode Beach has also been given due consideration though does not figure in the project. It got '21 lakh sanctioned for its beautification.