Kerala CM launches statewide cleanliness drive on Gandhi Jayanti

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday launched a statewide cleanliness drive as part of Gandhi Jayanti celebrations and termed littering a ''crime'' against one's surroundings.

Speaking at the inauguration function of a new cancer block at Ernakulam General Hospital, Vijayan read out a seven-line pledge against littering.

Guests at the event repeated each line of the pledge after the chief minister.

Ministers M B Rajesh, P Rajeeve and Veena George; Ernakulam Lok Sabha MP Hibi Eden; legislators T J Vinod and K J Maxi; Kochi Mayor M Anilkumar and Chief Secretary Venu V were among those who attended the event.

A state government release said a social media campaign #ChallengeToChange was launched on the occasion to strengthen the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project's (KSWMP) ongoing 'Maattam' programme under the 'Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam' campaign.

Across the state, 25 lakh people took ''waste eradication'' oaths on October 1 and 2 as part of Gandhi Jayanti celebrations under the 'Malinya Mukta Nava Keralam' campaign, it said.

''With at least 200 volunteers from each ward, the drive, as part of 'Swachhata Hi Seva', saw the cleaning of urban pockets, bus stands, railway stations, public parks, tourist spots and markets,'' it said.

The campaign will go on till October 15. As part of the campaign, around 23,000 places will be cleaned.

Authorities expect the figure to cross 25,000. The campaign will be carried out in at least two areas in each urban local body ward and in all wards in each village panchayat.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)