THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Until recently, the spot near Sabapathi road in Chalai market, had been a waste dumping yard. Not anymore. The area has been cleared of garbage and beautiful paintings narrating the history of the flower vending street in Chalai adorn the 50m wall adjoining it. A temporary library will also be set up at the spot soon.
The daily buzz of the vendors selling flowers on the busy street and other scenes that transpire in the alleyways here have been etched into the walls. All this has been carried out as part of the joint efforts of the civic body and Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) with public participation. This spot is just one among the many locations that have been beautified and uplifted as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav programme.
“People would dump waste at the spot despite efforts by the civic body staff to remove the garbage daily. We decided to adorn the walls with art as it would put an end to the littering. Several people have pitched in, financially and artistically, to beautify the walls,” said Simi Jeothish, councillor of Chalai.
According to a SCTL official, over 75 locations in the city have received a facelift so far. The work in some areas are still in progress. The project, ‘Place Making’, aims to give a make over to 100 locations in the city which are underutilised. Under this, one location each in every ward will be modified, uplifted and made litter-free.
The locations were identified by the councillors. The SCTL has allotted a sum of Rs 10,000 for the beautification work at each location. However, the total renovation of the spot near Sabapathi road cost Rs 68,000. “We wanted to ensure that the place was transformed completely,” she said.
C Harikumar, councillor of Thampanoor identified a spot near Gandhari Amman Kovil in Thampanoor for the project. “People would casually drop off waste bags with dry waste and food waste at the spot,” said Harikumar. Now the space has undergone a transformation with landscapes and graffiti. A total of Rs 26,000 was spent for the work here.
“The residents bore the extra expenses. They have decided to maintain the garden. The nearby shopkeepers have agreed to keep a watch and prevent people from dumping waste again,” he said. Though some councillors have been unable to carry out the work due to fund shortage, they said they will proceed with the project.
Palayam councillor Palayam Rajan,said they estimate that the total cost of the beautification work of the littered space near Armed Reserve Police Camp in Nandavanam will cost `80,000. “The plan was to beautify the 750 sq ft area by clearing the garbage at the spot and setting up a garden. Since we need to maintain it too, we are looking for sponsors. As soon as we are able to meet the financial requirement, we will implement the project,” he said.