Park and Ride – a tourist car parking facility with a park and provision for clean drinking water – developed by Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) in Bogori Range of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) near the elephant riding point as part of its corporate social responsibility activities, has been dedicated to the tourists.
The facility was inaugurated on Tuesday, the 149th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the concluding day of Swachhta Hi Seva(SHS) campaign spearheaded by the Central Government from September 15 to October 2, stated a press communique issued by Madhuchanda Adhikari Choudhury, Deputy General Manager, Corporate Communications, NRL.
NRL MD SK Barua did the honours in presence of a gathering of 250 people including Director (Techical) NRL, BJ Phukan; Divisional Forest Officer, Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Rohini Ballave Saikia; senior officials of NRL and Forest Department; prominent members of the civil society, representatives of Jeep Safari Association, KNP; Wildlife Trust of India, etc.
MD NRL SK Barua, in his address said that NRL was willingness to take up more such developmental works in the future.
The DFO, Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Rohini Ballave Saikia, in his speech thanked NRL for the gesture which he said was another positive development towards making Kaziranga National Park – the pride of Assam and famous as the abode of the highest number of one-horned rhino – more tourist-friendly.
As part of the fortnight long Swachhata Hi Seva campaign, NRL carried out several activities including mass cleanliness drive at public places, street play during busy hours at market, cleaning of iconic place viz. Mahabhairav Temple at Tezpur, Deo-Pani Temple at Golaghat, Baba Than at Numaligarh and wall paintings of two schools at Numaligarh area with art on Swachhta, etc.
NRL also undertook several programmes in Guwahati as part of SHS.
A plantation drive and art competition amongst students of Sankardev Vidya Niketan along RG Baruah Road was organised where NRL officials stressed the importance of cleanliness and urged the students and teachers present to join the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign 2018.
The teachers and students were also urged to be a part of the nationwide Swachh Bharat Mission as India prepares to become clean and open defecation free by October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
On September 22, a public toilet was inaugurated at the Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden premises as part of SHS.
White-washing of car parking area and mass cleanliness drive was also held in the busy Ganeshguri locality along with promoting awareness amongst the masses maintaining Swachhata in their homes as well as their city.