Swiss nationals at a cleanliness and environment awareness drive in Puri. Picture by Sarat Patra

Bhubaneswar, April 18: In spite fo being one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the state, many lanes, by-lanes and the long stretch of beach in Puri are yet to reflect the fact.

However, volunteers of a cultural group of Switzerland along with local residents, recently went around the city using novel ways to attract people and make them aware about the importance of maintaining the looks and beauty of the heritage city.

Organised by Real Time Trust, Switzerland and Gopabandhu Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, the awareness programme was held on Saturday when the volunteers visited different sahis of the city and met the residents.

“We went to each house and spoke to the members of the family. They were very supportive and interacted with us,” said Raymond Christian, a Swiss volunteer and organiser of the awareness camp.

“We had held the camp five months ago and few lanes have been well-maintained following our request. This time too, we distributed dustbins to every family and placed some on the streets. We advised the residents how to take care of the beach,” he said.Fine art students of a local art school accompanied the camp and created instant drawings and paintings.

“It is inspiring to see foreign nationals taking initiatives to improvise the looks of the city. We were stunned to see local art students making instant paintings in which they showed how garbage dumps are lying around the Jagannath temple and the beach. They even gifted the paintings to us,” said Bandita, a resident of the Khaki Matha Nua Sahi.

“We were informed how each of us could make a difference in keeping the streets and the city clean,” said Bibhu Prasad, another resident.

Apart from distribution of various cleanliness equipment, the volunteers also held a road show and went on cleaning the streets picking up polythene and other trash.

Many local youngsters joined the group of volunteers. The camp was one of the first steps to beautify the city, said the organisers.

“We have tied up with many NGOs and jointly with the local authorities, we will take steps to beautify this ancient city,” said Rolf adding that such camps will be held regularly after an interval of a couple of months to make an impact. “Such camps not only help the residents keep the city beautiful but also in keeping their surroundings healthy,” said Deba Das, a volunteer.

Many residents and volunteers felt that the municipality should take steps to beautify the holy city that pulls people from all parts of the world throughout the year.