CII volunteers, students, professionals collect 8 to 10 tractor loads of hazardous waste

Mysore/Mysuru: As part of the World Environment Day celebrations, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Mysuru, conducted a successful mega plastic cleanliness drive on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) in the city this morning. The event saw active participation from approximately 2,300 students and employees representing seven colleges and  several companies.

The participating colleges included GSSS Engineering College, Mahajana College, Christ College, Teresian College, JSS College, NIE and Vidyavardhaka College. Notable companies involved in the drive wereTheorem, Kaynes Technology India Ltd., JK Tyre, rProcess Services, AT&S, Equalize RCM, Excelsoft Technologies, Schevaran Labs, Schneider, Automotive Axel and Infosys. To efficiently cover the ORR, it was divided into 28 divisions, with volunteers dedicating their time from 7 am to 9 am.

The cleanliness drive took place at various significant junctions along the ORR, including Bharat Cancer Hospital Traffic Signal, Hebbal Junction, Manipal Hospital Junction, Bannur Road intersection, T. Narasipur Road Traffic Signal, Nanjangud Road Junction, J.P. Nagar Railway Under-Bridge, H.D. Kote Road Junction and Hinkal Junction, among others.

The collective efforts of the volunteers resulted in the collection of around eight to ten tractor loads of plastic waste. This waste was then handed over to the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC).

The plastic waste was appropriately categorised into recyclable and non-recyclable waste, with the recyclable waste being transported to the MCC’s Solid Waste Management Plant. The non-recyclable waste will be disposed of using scientifically approved methods.

By organising this event, CII gave a message of a cleaner and greener Mysuru that is free from plastic pollution, aiming to educate and inspire individuals through educational sessions and insightful talks.

Citizens were goaded to rethink their plastic consumption habits, waste management techniques, recycling and reusing solutions and take proactive steps towards a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic for an eco-friendly future.

Following the successful cleanliness drive, all the volunteers gathered at J.K. Grounds, near City Railway Station, for a stage programme. The event commenced with a welcome address by CII Mysuru Zone Chairman Sam Cherian.

SavithaMallappa, responsible for CSR, HR/IR, and Women Panel, delivered a talk on the theme ‘Collaborative Solution Towards No Plastic Pollution.’ She emphasised the importance of keeping our surroundings clean to maintain the cleanliness of the city and urged the gathering to reduce or eliminate the use of plastic.

During the event, Dr. Dharma Prasad, Convenor of the III and Higher Education Panel, led the pledge to beat plastic pollution, encouraging all participants to take a stand againstplastic pollution.

As part of the celebration, CII organised various contests including an Ideathon competition with the concept of ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ plastic on June 3, and the winners were presented with prizes during the event.

The chief guest at the event was G. Lakshmikantha Reddy, the Commissioner of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC). B.M. Prakash, Senior Environment Officer from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), graced the occasion as the guest of honour. The vote of thanks was proposed by V. Eswara Rao, Vice-Chairman of CII Mysuru Zone.