Bhubaneswar, July 8: The state culture department will launch a campaign during rath yatra to make tourists aware about the need to keep Puri beach clean. Artistes will present folk performances to convey the message.

Around 30 cultural groups will perform on the beach in the evening from July 17-28. A number of folk art forms such as Ghoda Nacha, Pala, Sankirtan and Daskathia will be showcased as part of the campaign.

The major issue of the campaign will be cleanliness of the beach.

"This being the Nabakalebar year, the number of tourists coming to Puri will increase manifold and so will the crowd on the beach. One of the major concerns that arise is its cleanliness. People will litter here and there and it might become unmanageable. That is why we are starting the cultural campaign in order to inspire people on the need to keep the beach as well as the sea clean," said state project co-ordinator of the culture department, Basudev Malbishoyi.

"The folk art forms of our state are extremely colourful, so, they will definitely attract the attention of the tourists," Malbishoyi said.

Apart from issues such as sanitation, the harmful effects of open defecation and how to protect children on the beach and during the rush hours will also be taken up.

Everyday, three performances will be held at two locations on the beach. "We have asked the Puri administration to identify two ideal spots and construct stages," said Malbishoyi.

A two-day workshop was also conducted at Konark on July 6 and 7 to help the artistes develop the script and include understated messages related to the issue in their recitals. The troupe leaders of the various cultural groups were invited to the workshop and they were trained by environmentalists.

The campaign is also aimed at providing the artistes, who are struggling to save their art form, with employability opportunities. "People theses days hardly take interest in the traditional forms of art despite they being one of the most effective means of communication. Through the campaign, the cultural groups will get a platform to promote their culture in front of a diverse audience," said Malbishoyi.