Puri: A 30-day cleanliness drive by a group of local youths at Astaranga beach in the district has found a place in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s success story page of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme.
In order to clean the path of Olive Ridley turtles coming to the beach for nesting every year, six youngsters of the ‘Paryavaran Sanrakshan Abhiyan Trust’ put their non-stop efforts for 30 days in cleaning the beach. They collected over 5,000 kg of waste including plastic bags from a stretch of 20 km along the beach.
Their concern and contribution to the safety of the endangered species during the lockdown period elicited accolades from all over the country.
The Prime Minister praised their effort and said it will inspire others in the country. Earlier, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar also congratulated them.
Soumya Ranjan Biswal (23), Suman Pradhan (17), Dillip Kumar Biswal (22), Santosh Behera (23), Pravakar Biswal (21), and Sushant Parida (17) of the trust participated in the cleanliness drive.
