NEW DELHI: Always at the forefront when it comes to drawing people’s attention to flagship Central government initiatives such as Swachh Bharat and raising general awareness on pollution and saving water, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) is now on a mission to deck up key civic installations with artwork.
As part of the novel initiative, the East Delhi civic body will paint MCD school walls and flyovers and decorate them with murals. The move is aimed at making residents aware of cleanliness and pollution-related issues.
“Wall graffiti or painting is one of the easiest and most effective ways of drawing people’s attention to a cause. They easily get noticed by passing commuters and the message is driven home without much fuss. They not only serve to make civic installations more eye-catching but also convey the underlying message loud and clear. We launched this initiative a year back and it will continue,” PK Khandelwal, Chief Engineer, EDMC, told this newspaper.
The east civic body had joined hands with the Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI) and Lady Sri Ram College to roll out this initiative. Members of EFI and LSR students volunteered to paint the wall graffiti and design the murals.
“Some of the paintings were also done by our municipal staff. The LSR students chose the locations as per their convenience. The EFI came up with suggestions for murals and locations. We took note of their suggestions and carried their plan forward,” Khandelwal said.
Civic officials said that the majority of wall paintings were done on flyovers, the boundary walls of MCD schools, and markets.
“Our prime focus was to ensure that the artwork is visible to the people. The message behind the murals had to be conveyed in the easiest and most effective manner. Hence we chose locations that would give the artwork maximum visibility,” the chief engineer said.
Environmentalist Foundation of India, an NGO which works for wildlife conservation and habitat restoration and is actively engaged in 12 states, said their team comprised volunteers from different walks of life, students and even senior citizens.
“Our theme is centred on three Ws — water, waste management and wildlife. We work to convey to critical messages to Delhi residents,” an EFI volunteer said.
“Murals and wall paintings deter people from misusing walls. Besides, a lick of paint or a dash of artwork adds to the aesthetic appeal of such installations. It’s a welcome initiative. However, whether people would appreciate the effort is a matter of individual taste,” said AGK Menon, an urban planner.