Students of hospitality and tourism institutes clean up the Khandagiri-Udayagiri caves in Bhubaneswar on the occasion of World Tourism Day on Thursday. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 27: Students of a few tourism and hotel management institutions in Bhubaneswar took part in a cleanliness drive at Khandagiri-Udayagiri caves and Lakshmaneswar group of temples on the occasion of World Tourism Day today.

About 300 students from various institutions took part in the campaign at these two major monuments.

While students of Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management carried out the cleanliness drive at the Khandagiri-Udayagiri caves, participants from Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition were seen at the Lakshmaneswar group of temples.

S.K. Lenka, coordinator of one of the institutions, said the cleanliness initiative was part of Clean Campaign India launched in New Delhi by the ministry of tourism on December 20, 2011.

“On World Tourism Day, we have taken a small step that, we hope, other institutes, government, private and corporate bodies will follow,” Lenka said.

Apart from these two institutions, School of Hotel Management of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University, Gopabandhu College of Hotel Management, Ranjita Institute of Hotel Management and National Institute of Hotel Management were associated with the campaign.

Deepak Mishra, who was part of the team that undertook the cleanliness drive at Khandagiri-Udayagiri caves, said: “Today’s experience taught us many things. We got an idea about the kind of threat these monuments are under because of pollution and indifference of tourists. We worked in Khandagiri from 6.30am to 10am. In those three-and-half hours, we collected 40 bags of solid waste from the twin hills.”

Irfan Asraf, another student, said other institutions and voluntary organisations should take up such campaigns frequently to create awareness on the cleanliness of monuments.

Shena Roy, another participant, said: “Apart from students of tourism and hospitality management institutions, people from all walks of life should devote their time for the sake of these monuments.

India Tourism, Odisha Tourism and Odisha Tourism Development Corporation sponsored the event.