JOIN USWith the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palilke (BBMP) faltering in ensuring smooth disposal of garbage in the City, a few spirited citizens of Vidyaranyapura have taken upon the responsibility themselves.
Forty-five people representing various layouts of Vidyaranyapura have come together to form a group ‘Clean Vidyaranyapura’ with the objective of monitoring garbage disposal and waste management. This local community can teach a thing or two to BBMP on how to tackle the city’s mountains of muck.
Started two months back, the team represents various areas such as Raghavendra Colony, Balaji Layout and Teachers Layout. The team members keep tabs on the streets and catch people red-handed dumping garbage. They have been successful in getting black spots cleared by vigorously pursuing the matter with civic agency officials in the locality.
It all started when the residents found many black spots along the streets and decided that they should themselves get them cleared.
Nishand R, one of the team members, recalls that the Clean Vidyaranyapura initiative was conceptualised in October this year with like-minded citizens.
On the team’s monitoring process, Nishand says: “Intially, we worked round the clock and used to catch at least eight to 10 people everyday, including shop vendors and hotel owners who dumped the waste on roads. Now they are aware and the number of people throwing the garbage has reduced considerably."
According to the community members, there were eight black spots in Balaji Layout alone. By taking the support of the Palike, the team has reduced them to one. Thanks to their initiative, there are today zero dumpyards in Defence Layout and Teachers Layout. A group of five to six members stand guard at the entry and exit points of each layout and at designated black spots.
Now, with increased awareness among the public on proper garbage disposal, the team members work on a weekly basis. Besides monitoring the citizens, they have also put up posters on waste management in the area. Regular door-to-door awareness campaigns are also part of the team’s agenda.
Ajit Sethuraman, another team member from Balaji Layout, says the initiative has caught many motorists and residents dumping plastic covers laden with garbage on roads. “On such occasions, we give them a warning and ask them to lift the waste which they have thrown,” he points out.
Clean Vidyaranayapura is also active on social media. Volunteers update one other when they spot people dumping or lorries unloading waste. They also post pictures of black spots and people throwing waste on the BBMP website, based on which the Palike officials take action. The team could be reached on their Facebook ‘Vidyaranyapura – The Original.’