Mangaluru : The 40th shramadan of Ramakrishna Mission Swacchata Abhiyan’s fifth phase was carried out in Kuloor area here on Sunday.

It was flagged off jointly by Shishir Shetty, Dean (Student Welfare), A.B. Shetty Dental College, and Guruchandra Hegde, a social worker, Kuloor.

Students of Nitte Physiotherapy College, NSS unit of Besant Evening College and volunteers of Swacch Mangaluru Abhiyan cleaned the area by forming six groups. Students of Nitte Physiotherapy College removed a heap of garbage lying on the footpaths of Kuloor-Kavoor Road. Students of Besant Evening College removed the heap of garbage from Rayakatte Cross.

Yogish Kayrthdaka, Umakanth and other volunteers cleared heaps of garbage opposite Ambika Nagar Bus Stand and removed the overgrown weeds and levelled the ground.

Punith Poojari, Mehboob Khan and other volunteers cleared the black spot near Shanthi Nagar Ground. Harish Prabhu, Shivu Puttur, Balakrishna Bhat and others cleared the garbage lying on the Kuloor-Kavoor Road.

Lecturer Prakash S.N. and Aniruddh Nayak led a group of volunteers in cleaning the surrounding areas of the flyover. Suresh Shetty led a group of students from Sharada Vidyalaya visiting each and every shop and household in the area and created awareness about cleanliness, hygiene and how to prevent contagious diseases such as dengue and malaria.

Umanath Kotekar and Dilraj Alva coordinated this drive. As many as nine spots had been identified as black spots prone to litter by pedestrians and public on Kuloor-Kavoor Main Road. All these spots were cleared and pots with flower plants were placed to dissuade the public from littering.

A team of Swacchata volunteers Sudhir Noronha, Jagan Kodikal and others will keep a watch on these spots day in and day out and urge the public not to litter again.

Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd. sponsored buttermilk and lassi for the volunteers. MRPL is sponsoring all these drives and programmes, according to a release from the mission.