Two years ago, we, residents of Kotturpuram, came together with the goal of managing the waste in our area more efficiently. With brooms in our hands, we would meet every Sunday morning for a clean-up.
Last Sunday, over 100 people from Nawab Gardens Residents Welfare Association (NGRWA) gathered for a carnival celebrating the second anniversary of the first meeting.
The event was marked by games, music and performances by the children of the area.
The Nawab Gardens Street Carnival, as it was called, was a wonderful outdoor event held at the intersection of Valliammai Achi and Arunachalam roads.
Slow cycling, races and games for all age groups, a merry-go-round for the children, housie and stalls selling food items such as panipuri, cakes, cookies, sandwiches, samosas added colour to the carnival.
From household garbage segregation to hands-on training on composting; from traffic regulation to regular follow-ups on garbage clearance, NGRWA endures everything is done in a timely manner. The Association has made significant strides towards the goal of creating a ‘zero waste community’.
V. Balakrishnan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mylapore, attended the carnival.
The occasion was definitely one for the history books. At the end, the garbage was neatly segregated, and apart from the lovely fairy lights that lingered on for a few hours, no trace of the festivities was evident on Monday, except for the happiness in the hearts of residents.
(Preeti is a resident of Valliammai Achi Street, Kotturpuram)
