Speed Post News Network
Mumbai ( Maharashtra) : “1,10,424 youth volunteers have actively taken part in conducting cleanliness drive across 8,393 villages in both Maharashtra and Goa. We are collecting 37 kg waste per day per village which is 2 Kg more than the Centre’s target per day. We have achieved 66% of the targeted waste collection,” Zonal Director, NYKS, Mumbai, Prakash Kumar Manure informed while addressing a joint media conference by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghthan (NYKS), Maharashtra, and National Service Scheme (NSS) Pune on October 16, 2021.
NSS and NYKS have been organising nationwide activities for waste disposal and cleanliness, especially processing of Single Use Plastic waste, during October 1 – 31, 2021. The virtual media conference was organised as part of “Clean India” Programme of Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in the context of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebration.
Manure informed that 30 kg of plastic is being collected from each village and disposed of on the same day. The objective of the campaign is to collect garbage from 13,136 villages in Maharashtra and Goa. At present, the campaign is being implemented in 452 villages. The target for the month of October is 4,59,760 kg of waste disposal, according to a PIB release.
Manure made a presentation through which he shared the action plan of NYKS and several cleanliness drives undertaken by its volunteers across Maharashtra and Goa. He said that the main objective of the campaign is to make the programme a People’s Movement through Jan Bhagidari. He also shared day-wise clean India activities to be carried out, by joining hands with educational institutes, religious bodies, business communities, women’s self-help groups, sports bodies, NGOs etc.
In addition to waste collection, Manure stated, “459 Monuments have been cleaned, 254 traditional water sources renovated and 1,820 Schools, PHC and Community Places have been cleaned and beautified.”
Manure while sharing the state-level compiled report mentioned that 1,10,424 youth volunteers have actively taken part in conducting the drive across 8,393 villages in both Maharashtra and Goa. “We are collecting 37 kg waste per day per village which is 2 Kg more than the Centre’s target per day. We have achieved 66% of the targeted waste collection,” he added. He also informed that the top three best performers from every state will get to have a personal meeting with the President, Prime Minister, Vice President. “The selection will be made by a State Level Committee,” he added.
Regional Director of National Service Scheme, Pune, D Carthigueane, mentioned, “NSS volunteers adopt a village and undertake cleanliness drive there; our volunteers stay at the adopted village for seven days to complete the drive; we are conducting special mega drive particularly to collect single-use plastics. Around 200 student volunteers from six states are participating at the camp.”
Carthigueane informed that NSS is planning to undertake special drive to collect single-use plastics across 25 universities in Maharashtra and Goa. Speaking about the success and pace of the cleanliness drive, he informed, “We have achieved 50% target from the drive conducted from 1st to 15th October; we are hopeful to achieve the target on time.” He also mentioned that 300 kg of single use plastics has already been handed over to gram panchayats for proper disposal.
The programme is being organised in six Lakh villages of 744 Districts across the country through the networks of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) affiliated Youth Clubs & National Service Scheme affiliated Institutions.