Sudarsan Pattnaik protests aginst pollution in Puri beach

Internationally acclaimed sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik today staged a sit-in on Puri beach protesting against pollution in it and demanding quick steps to rectify it.
Pattnaik said he decided to sit on dharna on the beach at highly polluted Bankimuhan area as his request to Odisha government for measures to save the area from pollution went unheeded.
"I am protesting (sitting on dharna) through my art against beach pollution at Bankimuhan," the famous artist said in a Twitter post along with the images of his sand art carrying a message "Save Bankimuhan Beach Puri."
Pattnaik said he had commnicated a message to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik thgough Twitter last year drawing his attention towards the rising pollution at the beach and the need to clean the area.

However, despite the chief minister's direction to the concerned authorities to keep the beach clean there has been little improvement in the situation, he said.
The artist said he had also created a sand sculpture last month to show the pathetic condition of the beach at Bankimuhana.
Pattnaik said he would stage a dharna if the government fails to take immediate steps to tackle the problem.