Students, volunteers whitewash walls to smarten up city

Cleanliness begins at home

Over 20 volunteers from the NGO Smileys India joined hands with students from Christ (Deemed to be University) to whitewash 13 walls near the Yelachenahalli metro station in southern Bengaluru on Sunday and paint messages on cleanliness.

This is the second initiative of the DYUdle Art movement that began from Koramangala 8th Block on Saturday.

Vidushi Jayaswal, a core volunteer with Smileys, said each activity focused on a different cause with revamping Bengaluru's streets and creating awareness on the Swachh Bharath Abhiyan as the common theme.

The initiative began in November when Smiley India collaborated with Dyu Art Cafe, Koramangala, to clean up a wall near the café that people littered every day. Volunteers and the café’s management decided to paint the place, after which no one littered the place.

The police showed interest and supported the cause, prompting the volunteers to pain nearly 100 walls in the vicinity. The volunteers also came together to help during the floods of Kailash.

But the efforts have consolidated into a movement only recently, said Vidushi.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) neither contacted the movement nor did the volunteers contact the civic body. But the state government agencies seem to have no problems in their activities that contribute to the city's cleanliness.

Sunday's drive also went towards supporting the causes taken forward by Centre for Social Action, Parishara from Christ. During the mass clean-up, the walls were whitewashed, doodled, coloured and painted with social messages.

Volunteers from Smily India will be working on the walls in Koramangala 8th Block. Those interested to participate can contact on Instagram and Facebook.