KOZHIKODE: Vadakara municipal authorities had a smile on their face on Sunday when they got a good response for the 'Clean Sandbank' challenge it thrown upon after waste piled up there driving domestic tourists away.
NGOs, clubs, resident associations and other groups have to take it as a challenge to clean the beach every Sunday and pass on the message to others.
So far, all Sundays up to May had been booked on the inaugural day of March 3.
On next Sunday, the collective of municipality employees will clean the beach from 7 am to 9 am.
The municipality has given ten waste bins to collect the waste.
"It should be taken up for recycling. Our main thrust is to create awareness among tourists not to litter and secondary, the clean challenge," said Vadakara Municipality secretary K.U. Bini.
According to her, the proper disposal of waste from the small shops itself would bring about a remarkable change.
Collectives such as 'Kreeda Vadakara', 'Sevanam' charity group and a few resident associations have lined up to take up the challenge.
"We are happy that small collectives have come forward to clean the picturesque beach. Sandbank is a major leisure spot of domestic tourists, and now people even from far off places visit here," said Vadakara municipality health standing committee chairman P. Ashokan.
Sandbank was under the custody of the revenue department from which the tourism department took over recently.
