Corporators, youth join hands to clean up Bangalore

The interns of Civic Action Internship programme celebrated the birthday of Resurgent India chairperson MV Rajeev Gowda, by taking up a cleaning drive at Frazer Town on Tuesday.

The interns cleaned compound walls and cleared garbage piled up at four black spots in Frazer Town. They later distributed sweets and provided breakfast to BBMP pourakarmikas.

Swalpa Cleanup Maadi extended to Frazer Town after it was a great success in RT Nagar. It is an inclusive campaign headed by Gowda, where corporators, citizens and youth join hands to rid black spots (festering garbage dumps that pose a health hazard) and give localities a makeover.

“I thought of celebrating my 50th birthday by participating in the cleaning programme. I want to felicitate pourakarmikas with sweets and breakfast,” said Gowda.

Swalpa Cleanup Maadi is part of a larger movement for a better Bengaluru. ‘Bengaluru Needs You’ is a citizen movement led by Gowda to empower and transform the city.

“We are organising cleaning programmes where corporator of the respective ward join hands with us. We have done similar programmes in RT Nagar. We visit the area and study problems and think about solutions before deciding to take up the cleaning programmes. The important thing is to consult residents and explain to them the importance of keeping their surroundings clean,” said Gowda.

It was interesting to see the interns, who were from different colleges, joining hands with pourakarmikas. “I have to work from 6 am to 2 pm at different locations as per the whims and fancies of the contractor who has neither provided me a uniform nor hand gloves, forget about a mask to protect me from dust,’’ said a pourakarmika.

Later, the interns provided the pourakarmikas gloves and helped them clear the garbage.

One of the interns, Srinivas Babu from Indiranagar, who aspires to become an entrepreneur, said: “I realised that 80% of garbage is qualified for recycling. As of now, I am doing nothing. I want to get into the recycling business shortly.”

Babu came to know about Swalpa Cleanup Maadi through an article published in a newspaper. Later, he contacted Gowda and joined the internship for two weeks as part of Civic Action Internship programme.

“Today, we are cleaning Robertson Road in Frazer Town. The residents of this locality are used to the garbage, but we want to showcase them that it is possible to have a garbage free locality,’’ Babu said.

Appreciating the initiative of the interns, Yashin Mohammed, a resident of Frazer Town, said the garbage problem, which has been existing for many years, was solved within two weeks by them.

Akanksha Reddy, who hails from Whitefield and is a student of Alliance College of Law, came to know about the Civic Action Internship through a friend.

“I am doing the internship for two weeks. It is very insightful,’’ said Akanksha.