Over 400 people from various parishes under the Thamarassery Diocese came together for a massive clean-up of the Thamarassery Churam (ghat section), under the leadership of Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil, the Bishop of Thamarassery. The drive was conducted as part of the Diocese’s Ruby Jubilee environmental initiatives.

The clean-up covered the stretch from the base of the hill to Lakkidi, during which all kinds of waste — including discarded plastics and glass bottles — were removed from the roadside. The collected waste was later handed over to the Puduppadi Panchayat authorities for proper disposal.

In his inaugural address, Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil emphasized that those who often accuse farmers of exploiting the environment should instead witness their commitment to nature by visiting Wayanad Churam at dawn. "They will realize that farmers are indeed protectors of the environment," he stated.

He also reminded participants that there is no waste in Kerala’s public spaces that hasn’t been created by humans. “The heaps of garbage across our God’s Own Country are a national shame. Waste management is not just a civic duty but a personal responsibility of every individual,” Mar Remigiose said.

As part of its Ruby Jubilee celebrations, the Diocese is implementing several environmental programs. These include plans to plant a sapling in every household in June and to promote household-level waste segregation and collection practices.

The initiative was led by Ruby Jubilee Committee Chairman Fr. John Oravankara along with Fr. Kuriakose Ikkolampil, Fr. John OFM, Fr. Jilson Thayyil, Fr. George Vellaramkalayil, Fr. Jobin Thekkekaramattam, Fr. Geo Kadukamakkal, and representatives from KCYM and Mission League.