Mysore: A group of concerned residents, morning walkers and their family members residing in Vijayanagar 3rd Stage, B & C Block, the adjacent Cauvery Layout, Wildgrass Layout and Bogadi North have made the Public Park in Vijayanagar C-Block and its surrounding area measuring about 6 acres plastic, empty liquor bottles and garbage-free zone by picking and disposing them through Shramdaan.

School-going children and senior citizens participated in the Shramdaan organised under the aegis of city-based Tree Lovers Club, an offshoot of VeKare Ex-Servicemen Trust, on May 18.

President of Tree Lovers Club, Mandetira N. Subramani, a retired Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of Indian Air Force, while addressing the gathering said that a few residents had approached him to take up this drive as some miscreants allegedly threw the empty liquor bottles and plastic bags in and around the Park after drinking and eating in the dark between  8 pm and 10 pm.

He  said the residents also requested him to approach the District Administration, the jurisdictional Police Station and the Mysuru City Corporation authorities to deter the miscreants from using the Public Park for such illegal activities. Hence, the Tree Lovers Club with the support of like-minded residents  organised a Shramdaan, he added.

During the 2-hour Shramdaan, the participants collected 7 huge bags of empty liquor and plastic bottles and 29 bags of plastic bags and un-dissolvable garbage and disposed them off.

S. Adithya, a 6th std. student of JSS Public School, Mysuru and Sanath A. Wadi, a 2nd PU student who passed out from a College in Alike, DK, suggested the Club to organise such Shramdaan every month and requested the citizens to conduct cleanliness drives in their respective areas regularly.

A few senior citizens and ladies said that they would complain to the Police over phone in case they find anybody drinking in the night inside or outside the Park. They also urged the authorities to improve the lighting facilities at all the Parks and Roads.

Appachattolanda Bojappa, Secretary of Tree Lovers Club, was asked to take necessary steps to deter miscreants from indulging in nuisance in and around the Park.  

Hyder Ali Khan from N.R. Mohalla, well-known as ‘Hasiru Chapparada Saradar’ for his skills in pruning and regulating the heights of Honge trees, interacted with the gathering.

Referring to the statement made by President of Tree Lovers Club that many Honge trees were planted under the electric lines ignorantly by some people, which would pose great danger to human lives when they touch the overhead electrical wires, Hyder Ali Khan requested the Club to get him permission from the Forest Department to prune and regulate the heights of such Honge trees for which he would charge very nominal amount either from the residents who live in the proximity of such Honge trees or from Tree Lovers Club. He opined that pruning the Honge trees and regulating the height would enhance the beauty of the city.  

Secretary Bojappa, while proposing a vote of thanks, said the Club would  hold Shramdaan every two months in and around the Park and subsequently take up other areas in Vijayanagar.Breakfast was served to all the volunteers. Diwakar, an engineer who runs a software company, sponsored the expenses.

The concerned residents may e-mail their suggestions to: [email protected] or WhatsApp the message to Mob: 99001-01047.

Also the residents who wish to prune and regulate the height of Honge trees in front of their houses but underneath the power lines, at their own cost, may contact Hyder Ali Khan on Mob: 98451-59067.