A national-level ‘Green Dialogue’ on coastal environmental protection and scientific waste management will be held alongside the Alva’s Virasat–Nudisiri conference from January 6 to 7, 2027, with organisers planning a community-based waste management model across more than 50 villages in the catchment areas of the Phalguni, Nandini and Shambhavi rivers.
The Alva’s Education Foundation announced the programme at a press conference in Mangaluru. Foundation president Dr M. Mohan Alva said more than 800 people are expected to participate in discussions on coastal conservation, scientific waste management and the creation of sustainable environmental systems through community involvement.
According to Alva, the proposed village-level model will focus on waste segregation, collection, scientific processing and recycling. The stated objective is to prevent waste from entering the three rivers and ultimately reaching the sea. The initiative is expected to involve gram panchayats, local organisations and residents through consultations on environmental protection and waste management.
The announcement places river catchment areas at the centre of a coastal waste strategy. Instead of treating marine pollution only as a shoreline issue, the programme will work across the settlements and drainage systems through which discarded material can move towards the coast. The supplied announcement did not specify the names of all participating villages, the implementation agency for each location or the funding arrangements for the proposed model.
The organisers also plan to involve school and college students through a programme called ‘Chota COP’. Activities will include a clean village competition, an environmental awareness reels competition and other student engagement and awareness programmes.
A ‘Clean Village’ award will be given to the village that succeeds in effectively preventing plastic waste from entering rivers. Students who make a special contribution to environmental protection will receive ‘Waste Warriors’ awards, the foundation said.
The Green Dialogue is being organised during the Alva’s Virasat–Nudisiri conference scheduled from January 6 to 10, 2027. The foundation said the next stage will involve discussions with local institutions, community organisations and the public in the identified river catchment villages.
