Tamil Nadu: Tiruchy corporation takes to kolam, potted plants to reclaim city's frequently littered spots
TIRUCHY: Amping up its efforts to curb garbage dumping in the open, the corporation on Saturday did not just stop with clearing trash from frequently littered spots in the city but also drew a 'kolam' once completed and placed potted plants around. Further, it fenced the premises and laid tiles that read 'Thooimai India' (Clean India). The initiative that rolled out in Zone V would cover the remaining zones in the coming days, said senior officials.
Pointing out that the “beautification” drive was carried out in three locations in his ward, Ward 23 councillor Suresh Kumar K said, “The beautification and ‘Clean India' message would undoubtedly deter people from disposing of garbage in public spots.” Senior corporation officials said that the drive would be monitored by their team as well as the private firm it has roped in to undertake door-to-door garbage collection in the city. "On Saturday, we beautified and fenced 13 [frequently littered] spots in Zone V. We plan to take it up in additional locations in the next few days. We would also write, ‘Thooimai India’ at all locations covered in the drive," a senior official said.
Commending the initiative, Rahim Khan, a Palayam Bazaar resident, called it an amazing and creative strategy. "It's a clever strategy. Potted plants and lovely multi-coloured kolam would deter anyone from disposing of their garbage where they are. The corporation drive covered one of our neighbourhood’s frequently littered locations," said Rahim.
MK Veluswamy, a retired government official and resident of Anna Nagar, however, said, "The corporation had previously taken up kolam drawing after clearing the trash from frequently littered spots. This time, they took up fencing, put in place potted plants and wrote neat messages on tiles. All these steps may stop garbage dumping at the particular spot and the violator would dispose of the trash elsewhere. The corporation would hence be able to stop garbage dumping only if it starts identifying violators and imposing fines on them," he said.