Over 1,100 people toiled for over two weeks to clean up the premises of a railway station, with the railways not having to spend even a penny. What happened at Vadakara railway station is probably the biggest cleaning drive with the highest mass participation in the district, only after the Conolly Canal cleaning, involving over 5,000 people in 2018.
The premises of the Vadakara railway station was covered in shrubbery and unnecessary bushes for a long time, and it had become a haunt for antisocial elements and stray dogs. A civic committee chaired by the Railway Station Master coordinated the drive and gave the station a facelift.
The drive began on September 16 with MLA K.K. Rema inaugurating it. The premises of the station were divided into various sectors and different groups were entrusted with their cleaning on different days. They usually worked from 7.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. every day.
Thus, while the NSS volunteers cleaned the Railway Staff Colony, the Lions Club cleaned the nearby pond, and the residents’ associations cleared the roadside.
Whole-day cleaning sessions were also held under the aegis of NCC cadets in various colleges on some of the holidays. Every person who volunteered for the drive was given free meals that were sponsored by various organisations. “It is amazing to see the dedication of the voluntary organisations when it comes to a public cause,” said Manalil Mohanan, coordinator of the drive.
At the end of the cleaning drive on Sunday, several organisations and individuals contributed potted plants as well, to decorate the cleaned railway station.
The drive was similar to the Conolly Canal cleaning drive coordinated by Niravu Vengeri in which more and more people volunteered to help everyday, though at a smaller scale.
