Kannur: The Natakam (play) which started at 9 a.m. Friday took more than 24 hours to finish with around 31 teams competing for the event. With 7 teams still remaining to participate at 5 a.m. Saturday, the authorities said they expect to finish the event by 10 a.m. Saturday.
As the teams were busy getting ready and practicing for their chance, there came an announcement at 11.30 in the night. It asked the team manager and a student from each team who has participated and yet to participate to come on the right side of the venue where the collector was waiting. It was also announced that the team should bring a valid id card.
The murmuring of the crowd changed from an anticipation to worriment. The venue was fully crowded even late night and someone among them asked “Did any kind of malpractice take place during the event? Is the collector going to investigate on the discrepancy?” Confusion engulfed and noise slowly dissipated. All the team managers came in a hurry with a participant on the right side of the stage.
There was a car parked on the right side with Kannur collector Mir Mohammed Ali waiting for the participants. Kalolsavam organizers asked the team managers to line up and soon collector gets a call on his phone- goes to invite Kadannappalli Ramachandran, Kannur mayor E.P. Latha, district panchayat president Sumesh and others.
Soon the collector opens the Pandora box, a car full of cloth bags. Ali announced that the cloth bags will be distributed to all the team members in a bid to promote green protocol and eco-friendly products. Around 400 bags were distributed by Kadannapally and the collector as a souvenir for all the participants. “This is a surprise for the kids and I consider this as an encouragement for them who should understand the importance of a plastic-free city,” said Ali. Around 5,000 cloth bags were distributed to students who came for registration on the first day.
The team manager O.C. Prakash representing SNMHSS, Malapuuram said, “Cloth bags are really useful and they have given quality cotton bags. Such efforts should be appreciated.”
The collector also said efforts to make Kannur a plastic-free city is in progress and in a week supermarkets in Kannur will support green protocol by banning plastic bags. According to him the response from the people of Kannur so far is a success.