Hundreds participate in walkathon for ‘Drug Free India’ in Hubballi
A large number of students, teachers and people from different walks of life participated in the mega walkathon organsied as part of the awareness campaign
A large number of students, teachers and people from different walks of life participated in the mega walkathon organsied as part of the awareness campaign for ‘Drug Free India’ under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) in Hubballi on Sunday. The participants took a pledge in the event which was jointly organised by colleges affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) from Hubballi Dharwad region in association with RGUHS, Dishabodh Foundation, Narcotics Control Bureau under Home Ministry of India. After the walkathon was flagged off, the participants marched from KLE Society’s Nursing College on BVB Campus to Tolanakere wearing T-shirts and holding placards highlighting the adverse impact of drug abuse, covering the thoroughfares of the city.
Inaugurating the programme, former Chairman of Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti said that once the health worsens due to drug abuse and bad habits, it will be difficult to revive it. He said it was regrettable that drug abuse had pushed the young generation into peril. “We have reached a situation where instead of the young taking their parents to hospital, the teenagers were being taken to hospital by their parents. It should change and awareness is the only solution,” he said. Hubballi Dharwad Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar said that along with punitive measures to check drug peddlers, awareness campaigns were being held on a regular scale in the limits of every police station.
Gurumahantha Swami of Chittaragi Sri Vijayamahantha Samsthana Mutt appreciated the efforts of the organisers and said that the senior seer of the Mutt had worked for the cause for around 45 years by visiting villages with an appeal to shun bad habits. After the walkathon reached Tolanakere, a group of teachers from various institutions and doctors took out a bike rally to DIMHANS in Dharwad and held an awareness programme. Vice-Chancellor of RGUHS Bhagavan B.C. and MLA Mahesh Tenginakai highlighted the need for more awareness on the issue. Mayor Durgamma Bijawad; former chairman of KLE Society Prabhakar Kore; MLAs Prasad Abbayya and N.H. Konaraddi; entrepreneur V.S.V. Prasad; former director of KLE Society Shankranna Munavalli and others were persent.
Mailareshwar Jeevannavar, syndicate member of RGUHS, and Srinivas Bannigol, Siddanagouda Patil, Sanjay Peerapur, Kranthi Kiran and others coordinated the event.
The BriefWire