Vedanta Spearheads Clean Lanjigarh Drive before Ratha Yatra

India CSR News Network

LANJIGARH: With an objective to inspire and raise the collective awareness of the community to achieve clean public space and to share with the community about the benefits of cleanliness, Vedanta Lanjigarh organized a Mega Pick-Up drive at the Lanjigarh market area.

With the dawn of the day, Lanjigarh geared up to actively participate in the mega Pick-up and Cleanliness drive. Volunteers numbering over hundred, drawn from all walks of life including womenfolk, senior citizens, members of different clubs & associations and youth – including officials and team from Lanjigarh Police Station, joined hands with over five hundred employee volunteers of Vedanta Lanjigarh plant.

The Clean-Brigade with broom sticks, shovels, pick-up rags and baskets, assembled near the market area and took an oath for keeping public spaces clean. The drive kick started around 7.00 AM from Ratha (Chariot) point to Market Ground, covering the entire main road, including the nearby veterinary hospital premises.

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Spearheading the programme, Bimalananda Senapati, Head Vedanta Lanjigarh expressed his gratitude to the volunteers and said that Swachhta Abhiyaan is just a beginning where everyone at Lanjigarh must resolve to keep the neighbourhood litter-free and clean at all times”.

The company has been keeping its premises clean but the focus must move to the neighbourhood. “Cleanliness is Godliness and everyone must strive to achieve it”, he added.

Welcoming all the volunteers, Shivanand Mohanty, Head Public Relations said, “Lanjigarh is one big family and it is always heartening to see when people in such numbers join together for the benefit of society”.

Smt. Tulasi Nayak, Vice-chairman of Lanjigarh Block applauded the volunteering initiative. Praising the efforts towards cleanliness, Smt. Mani Majhi, the local Sarpanch, said, “Efforts must be taken in the villages as well for larger awareness of public”. Members from senior citizens’ group expressed contentment over the initiative being undertaken just before “Ratha Yatra” – the sacred chariot festival of Odisha. It is celebrated with a grand chariot procession at Lanjigarh Market.

They reflected that such drives were much needed for raising the public awareness about general cleanliness in Lanjigarh and lauded the efforts of Vedanta. They also opined that citizens of Lanjigarh must rise to the consciousness and help keep the town clean.

When a team moved near Lord Jagannath’s sacred chariot, the sheer excitement among the volunteers was overwhelming. Tons of garbage, bottles, polythene and waste materials spread over roads and drains were taken out in tractors and bleaching powder was sprinkled.

During the drive, community people, including children, were explained the benefits of cleanliness who took a pledge for maintaining cleanliness. A group of female employee volunteers also marched all the way to clean the adjoining market ground where local weekly market is held by the tribals who come from nearby villages. While the joy of togetherness for this noble cause was visible in everyone’s eyes, the mesmerizing journey of the Clean-Brigade gave a festive look.

Present among others, during the programme, were senior officials of Vedanta –  Mahendra Raut Head HR, Ranjan Sharma Head CSR, Birajashankar Mund Head Power, Sanjeev Kumar Head Operations, Sunil Singh Head Expansion, Rajiv Ranjan Head Security, CR Panigrahi, Prabhakar Rao, members of Vedanta CSR, HR and admin team, Rajendra Mahapatra Sub-inspector Lanjigarh Police station, Sridhar Pesnia President Lanjigarh Anchalik Bikash Parishad, Chandradwaja Pesnia President Labour union, Trinath Mahakud, Uday Kumar President Land Loser Association, Binod Goud President Lanjigarh Youth Association, Himadri Pesnia, Subhash Agrawal President Nehru Club, Kamraj Dalbehera, Sribatsa Tandi, Laxmi Chandi and Chancher Majhi.

The drive concluded around 11.00 AM. Senior officials in their concluding remarks highlighted the continuous effort that is needed to be taken on a personal level to help achieve a clean neighbourhood. In the closing moments, Shivanand Mohanty, Sidhartha Behera, Srikant Bohidar and Alok Gaya gave the vote of thanks to all.