The Hindu : Kerala News : Beautification drive on Wayanad Ghat Road

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Thursday, Jun 28, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala

Beautification drive on Wayanad Ghat Road

Indigenous flowering plants, trees and creepers have been planted along the roadside.

Scores of school and college students, environmental activists and members of the general public participated in the beautification and cleaning drive on the Wayanad Ghat Road launched on June 23.

Owing to heavy rain on June 23, the beautification drive, into its second phase this year, was extended to a couple of days, organisers said.

Students and teachers from schools and colleges in Kozhikode and Wayanad districts are involved in the greening effort of the 12-km stretch of the Ghat Road. They congregated at the Oriental School of Hotel Management at Lakkidi for the inauguration programmed on Saturday.

T. Shobeendran, environmentalist, launched the planting drive. Abraham Benhur presided over the function. Joseph Thomas, programme coordinator; Father Jose Melettukochiyil, Vishwanathan, M.A. Johnson, among others, spoke on the efficacy of the greening drive. It has been resolved to conduct the programme every year, on the third Saturday in June, with assistance of students and environmentalists. Indigenous flowering plants, trees and creepers have been planted along the roadside leaving a ten-metre gap. The Forest Department provided the saplings.

Forest Minister Benoy Viswom had inaugurated the programme in June last, and it was resolved that the beautification drive would be continued on a regular basis during the monsoon season with the active cooperation of the student community, NSS volunteers and teachers.

Plastic waste

The plastic waste on the stretch was collected by the participants. The collected waste was removed by the Puthupadi grama panchayat authorities, the organisers said.

Maleeha Raghaviah

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