The Anti-Pollution Drive (APD) Foundation, a Mangaluru-based non-governmental organisation, has completed 11 years of public health advocacy, transforming civic conversations on air, waste, water and sanitation. Founded on October 2, 2014, APD began as a modest Facebook campaign and has since emerged as a movement that combines grassroots action with policy influence.

This year, APD was inducted into the World Health Organization’s Civil Society Commission, a recognition that places its work in a global context. Founder and CEO Abdullah A. Rehman said, “Our focus has always been on practical solutions — whether it is building toilets where schemes fall short or producing data that shaped Mangaluru’s first Air Quality Index.”

The Foundation’s Shuddha Gaali project, launched in 2016, highlighted the impact of air pollution on outdoor workers such as traffic police and street vendors, paving the way for cleaner transport initiatives. Its Prathi Manege Shauchalaya programme addressed sanitation gaps by building toilets for families excluded from government schemes, benefitting households in Dakshina Kannada and Tamil Nadu.

River health has also been a focus, with the Namma Netravathi, Namma Javabdari campaign targeting waste dumping into the Netravathi River and framing water pollution as a public health concern. APD has extended its work to humanitarian relief. During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, it ran community kitchens and distributed groceries and hygiene kits to migrants and the homeless. It has also worked to empower waste pickers through ID cards, financial access, and the establishment of Dakshina Kannada’s first Dry Waste Collection Centre in Ullal, run entirely by waste workers themselves. Public engagement has been central to APD’s approach, with over a thousand awareness sessions in schools and hundreds of online discussions. Its leadership team brings expertise across activism, law, and entrepreneurship, lending depth to its initiatives.

Over the years, APD has earned accolades, including the Young Social Innovator Award in 2016 and recognition from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board in 2017. Eleven years on, it continues to underscore that a city’s progress lies not only in infrastructure but in the health, dignity and well-being of its people.