Thousands of people including teachers, students and other locals wearing T-shit and caps joined a cleanliness drive at the Penthakata model beach here on Sunday.
Organised by the GAIL India Ltd, the drive was flagged off by Puri MLA Jayant Kumar Sarangi. Sarangi said the Puri beach, as a tourist destination, provides livelihoods to lakhs of people. The participants of the two-hour drive collected polythene and waste paper.
Notably, Pethakata has been earmarked as a model beach by the Puri municipal administration, which has strictly banned defecation and urination in the locality by fishermen.