By organising a clean-up drive at one street every Sunday, Raja Annamalaipuram Residents’ Association (RAPRA) is trying to keep its neighbourhood looking good.
They go about the job systematically and also follow the finer points of it.
Apart from brooms, caps, masks and aprons are out every Sunday as they go to work on a street. Generally, the clean-up activity takes place between 6.45 a.m. and 8 a.m.
The idea was conceived by S.S. Muralidharan and Meena Muralidharan of Seventh Main Road.
“The first clean-up drive was organised on Seventh Main Road on December 21. The residents are intimated in advance about the programme. We (RAPRA) have met the residents and explained the initiative to them. The drive is being carried out with the support of Ramky Enviro Engineers and its staff and supervisors. Apart from clearing the garbage on the streets, we remove the sand, cut overgrown grass on pavements. We want to create awareness among the public on a clean and green environment,” the duo say.
“The Ramky conservancy staff have been helpful and co-operative. If more residents take part in the drive, we can make R.A. Puram a clean and green area. Apart from this, we have told the residents not to dump garbage on the streets. The conservancy staff will come and collect the garbage at their doorsteps,” they say.
Certain directives on walking the pet-dogs have been given. There is a plan to educate house-maids and rag-pickers on why they should not fling garbage bags into bins and avoid spillages on the street while rummaging through the bins,” says Dr. R. Chandrasekaran, founder, RAPRA.
“We will also take up the issue of garbage bins being toppled by the bovines with Ramky and we plan to implement the concept of 'bin-less streets' in R.A. Puram. The Third and Seventh Main Road don’t have a garbage bin. The conservancy staff come and collect the garbage at the doorsteps. We will hold talks over positioning of the bins in the residential apartment premises as part of the concept. We will also be meeting the owners and staff of the refreshment stalls, and eateries and request them to keep bins near their business establishments and ensure that visitors dispose of the plates and the leftovers in the bins,” says A. Lakshmi Venkatesh, joint secretary, RAPRA.
Till date, the residents have cleaned Sixth Main Road, Fifth Main Road, Fourth Main Road, and Third Main Road.
Today, the clean-up drive will be held on Fourth Main Road (East), and Fourth Cross Road.
For details, contact Dr. R. Chandrasekaran at 98410 300 40.
