Although they had seen BBMP cleaning staff go through the motions over the years, residents of R T Nagar 1st Block under Manorayanapalaya ward were used to the overpowering stench of garbage from the ESI Hospital area. However, on Saturday, they heaved a collective sigh of relief as college students and NGOs joined hands to clean the street and clear the garbage near ESI Hospital.
The cleaning drive was launched as part of ‘Swalpa Cleanup Maadi’, a campaign headed by Rajeev Gowda, professor of public policy, IIM Bangalore. Gowda said the street had been strewn with garbage for more than 15 years. He said local residents would now be responsible to maintain cleanliness in the area, calling on the public to stop complaining about civic problems and take initiatives on the issue.
A resident, who lives near ESI Hospital, said he had stopped going for evening walks for the past few years due to the foul smell from the garbage heaps and latrines.
“There is a school and mosque here and we were disturbed by this menace. We will not allow people to litter the area and will keep the place under surveillance,” Siddique Mohammed, chairman, AL Hamr Trust, said.
RT Nagar Residents’ Association president L Shashank Singh said local residents had been trying to keep the area clean, but garbage and animal waste from neighbouring localities was being dumped here after 11 pm. “As the ward corporator is also showing interest, we will hire a watchman to contain the menace,” he said.
Students Lead The Charge
Rosy Goho, a student of Christ University, said she had come for the cleaning drive after seeing a poster put up by the Civic Action Forum. “I volunteered as serving society is my passion. We painted the walls and footpaths to change the locality’s appearance,” she said.
Later in the evening, the student volunteers also cleaned a street in J C Nagar.
Abdul Wajid, former director, BMTC, and husband of the Manorayanapalya corporator, promised similar cleaning drives will be launched in other wards.