A cleanliness campaign took place on Sunday in and around Malaprabha, a vital river in Khanapur taluk, with collaboration and aid from Khanapur City Municipality, the Prayas Foundation of Belgaum, and several local social youth activists. During each Amavasya, Makar Sankranti, Mahashivaratri, and Ugadi festival, numerous devotees from the taluk and district gather at the river to partake in religious rituals and observances.
Despite efforts by the municipal authorities to encourage cleanliness in the river and its surroundings through signage, devotees persist in littering the river with items such as plastic, flowers, fruits, vegetables, clothes, and other materials, as well as directly disposing of waste into the water.
Devotees are disposing of images of broken deities into the river, leading to contamination of the river water and surrounding environment. Previously, numerous voluntary organizations have been actively engaged in cleanliness initiatives.
Nevertheless, despite attempts, the river continues to be polluted repeatedly by devotees and the public. Moving forward, in collaboration with the police department, the municipal council has resolved to implement stringent measures to prevent any littering in the river by devotees and the public during festivals and auspicious occasions.
In attendance at the cleanliness campaign program were Yalappa Mavinkayi, the chief officer of the municipal council, alongside Prem Anand Nayak, retired teacher Shivanand Kundarigi, member Appayya Kodalli, Prakash Deshpande, Dinakar Maragale, Anil Kulakarni, Vani Joshi, Nappa Patil, Anita Kulakarni, Akshay Kulakarni, Vikram Patil, Nanda Garagatte, Puja Joshi, Amar Joshi, Yash Garagatte, Vinayak Deshpande, Keshav Kulakarni, Vishal Somanache, Avyan Kulakarni, Naitik Somanache, Anant Kulakarni, Snehal Hemgiri, Vinayak Betageri, and Guruprasad Kulakarni, among other members of the Prayas Foundation.
