Garbage dumped along the roads, corners and open plots is a common sight in any part of Karimnagar town. Apart from being an eyesore and raising a stink, it leads to health problems.
Taking serious note of this, the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar (MCK) is on a mission to spread awareness on the importance of keeping surrounding clean through proper garbage disposal. The civic authorities have started putting rangoli at vulnerable points across town to discourage littering.
In order to create awareness among the residents of Karimnagar town about the importance of proper disposal of the garbage and keep the surroundings clean and tidy and avoid spread of diseases, the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar (MCK) authorities As part of the campaign, the municipal sanitary staff arrive at the respective localities and take up cleaning operations by removing the garbage from open places. Then they paint vulnerable points with rangoli with a message, “Ichata chethha veyaradhu” (garbage should not be dumped here), and erect a sign board instructing them to ensure that their trash is picked up from their doorstep by waste collection vehicles only. Contact details of the sanitary inspector concerned for garbage collection has also been embossed on the sign board.
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Earlier, the MCK authorities distributed pamphlets to each household and conducting meetings with students and SHG womenfolk about cleanliness. However, when that failed to sensitise residents about proper disposal of garbage, they decided to take up the rangoli campaign. MCK Commissioner K. Shashanka says residents have equal responsibility to keep their surroundings clean. “If residents continue dumping garbage on the roads, we will be forced to impose fine of ₹500 every time,” he warns, adding that the rangoli drive will be conducted twice a week. Stating that the civic officials erected sign boards educating people for proper disposal of garbage, he said that they would conduct rangoli campaign at least twice in a week for further creating awareness. Mayor S. Ravinder Singh calls it the “Gandhigiri” style of educating residents about proper disposal of garbage, and says along with rangoli, saplings would be planted at common dumpsites, he says.