Volunteers clean the Ring Road in Sambalpur on Sunday. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, Oct. 27: Around 3,200 volunteers of 95 social organisations today joined hands to clean the Ring Road, which runs along the river Mahanadi.

The stretch of the road from Mandila to Kacheri Chhak of the city was cleaned.

People from all walks of life took part in the drive to give the Ring Road, considered one of the dirtiest stretches of the city, a clean look. The residents were seen cleaning the road with brooms and other equipment. Volunteers were also seen lifting garbage off the road.

“I am really happy to be part of the sanitation drive. The Ring Road should be kept clean,” said Tarani Panigrahi, a volunteer.

District collector Balwant Singh, who was present during the cleaning drive, said: “This is a community initiative. Such sanitation drives should be launched every month in different wards of the municipality.”

Instead of spending the Sunday as holiday, the people of the city came forward to give the Ring Road a cleaner look.

The five-hour drive changed the look of the road.

Co-ordinator of the sanitation drive Sudheer Pujari said: “This was an united effort. Residents of the city, members of several social organisations and students of several educational institutions took part in the sanitation drive.”

“We will soon convene a meeting of social organisations and chalk out a plan to clean the ghat of the river,” he said.

Sambalpur University teacher Prayas Dansana, who took part in the sanitation drive, said: “More public toilets are required along the Ring Road... Itwould help improving the cleanliness of the stretch.”

Sambalpur Municipality had provided the cleaning equipment and vehicles required for the drive.

Around 500 professional cleaning staff of the municipality were also engaged in the drive.