• Overwhelming response for Plogging
• Over one tonne plastic waste collected

Mysuru: More than 1,000 people, including professionals, residents, students and youth, enthusiastically took part in Plogging this morning from Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple and by the end of the Plog-a-thon, over one tonne of single-use plastic waste was collected. 

This is the first Plogathon held just before the arrival of assessment teams for Swachh Survekshan 2020 under Swachh Bharat Mission where Mysuru is aiming to regain the ‘Cleanest City’ tag. In 2014 and 2015, Mysuru had won the India’s Cleanest City Award consecutively and had got global recognition.

Plogging or Plogathon or Plog-a-thon is emerging as a new trend and it promotes picking up litter while jogging, which in turn makes the environment clean. It is a Swedish fitness trend that in 2016, inspired thousands around the world to mix their morning run with cleaning of streets and gardens in their neighbourhoods. 

The Plogathon — “Maha Mysuru Plogathon” — was flagged off at 7 am at Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple by Mysuru City Corporation’s (MCC) Brand Ambassadors for Swachh Survekshan — educationist and stand-up comedian Prof. M. Krishnegowda and former international cricketer Javagal Srinath.

The participants were divided into three groups and were given separate three-kilometre routes with Town Hall as the culminating point. While ‘Group A’ covered Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple, Hardinge Circle, Gun House, Basaveshwara Circle and K.R. Circle to reach Town Hall, ‘Group B’ covered Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple, K.R. Circle, D. Devaraja Urs Road, Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa Circle (Metropole Circle) and Shivarampet to reach Town Hall.

‘Group C’ covered Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple, Dodda Gadiyara (Silver Jubilee Clock Tower, Ashoka Road, Dhanvanthri Road, Sayyaji Rao Road, Gandhi Square and reached Town Hall. 

Participants were given cloth bags and were asked to pick up only single use plastic. Apollo Hospital had sponsored T-shirts to all participants.

After all the Ploggers assembled at Town Hall, the collected waste was weighed after removing paper and cardboards from the bags. 

Mayur, a resident of Agrahara in city, had collected 2.3 kgs of single-use plastic waste. He was given a cheque of Rs.10,000 by the MCC. Mayur was inspired by a street play on Swachh Bharat performed by Bengaluru-based Chukki Talkies Kala Thanda to take part in this Plog-a-thon.

Consolation prizes were distributed to 20 participants who managed to collect up to 2 kgs plastic waste. 

Mysuru Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath, MCC Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde, Health Officers D.G. Nagaraju and Dr. Jayanth were present.