Novel strategies by citizen groups for better neighbourhoods

Public initiatives get awards under 'Citizens for the City' programme

Strategies formulated by 12 citizens’ associations have been chosen for awards as part of the Neighbourhood Improvement Partnership Challenge.

“As part of United Technology’s Citizens for the City programme, 12 out of 145 associations were chosen based on a comprehensive review of their proposals. The projects are expected to be completed in six months,” Kalpana Kar, who is part of this initiative, said at the award ceremony on Saturday.

The Defence Colony Residents’ Association (DECORA) has proposed to redesign an existing garbage transfer point at Defence Colony in Indiranagar into a clean and efficient garbage transfer station.

The site design will include a leachate filtration system with aesthetic eco-friendly materials, efficient workspaces for staff and improved awareness.

NGO Nivasa offers temporary housing solutions for migrant construction workers of six housing types in Mahadevapura.

The Karnataka Welfare Association for the Blind is looking to redesign a dilapidated neighbourhood park in Nehru Nagar, Seshadripuram to make it accessible, usable and a safe recreation space for 150 blind children and 250-300 visually impaired and orthopedically disabled people visiting the place.

This is also intended to benefit other residents of Risaldar Street and VV Giri slum with a population of 50,000.

Training sessions
The Enfold Proactive Health Trust plans to conduct training sessions for personal safety of children in three schools, two anganwadis, two hospitals/nursing homes/clinics/health centres and one police station over three months in Madiwala.

With 400 cyclists in its team, the Somasundarapalya Neighbourhood Improvement Trust in HSR Layout has the credit of organising Cycle Day for the 16th consecutive month, says Shashidhar.

Meanwhile, the Trust will provide 23 cycle stands at 13 locations near markets and bus stops, making up a circuit of approximately 15 km in HSR Layout. The Selco Foundation has been selected to pilot a manned kiosk at a bus stop – as a charging station, powered by solar energy for the use of slums, street vendors and low income houses. The FoRCE Brookefields of Kundalahalli has proposed to construct an underground zero electricity anaerobic Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) with a processing capacity of 100 kilo litres per day.

Ashima Open Homes Owners Welfare Association has proposed to redesign a road junction to reduce unnecessary traffic congestion at Ginger Hotel U-Turn, EPIP, Whitefield.

A project by Rise HAL, 3rd Stage aims to set up a waste segregation model of 250 houses with ‘two bin, one bag’ system for enabling segregation at source and a wet waste management system comprising in situ composting and permaculture in the neighbourhood park.