Undri residents turn dumping spot into a beautiful walkway
Renuka Suryavanshi
The road stretch between Corinthians Club and Country Club was a dumping spot untill a resident of Nyati Windchimes decided to take up the challenge of not only cleaning it but also beautifying it.
Col Deepak Kumar, a retired army officer took up the work by deploying a few men at the site to clean it. He then erected a few clean city banners to educate people about not dumping waste at the spot.
Speaking to Pune Pulse about the initiative, he said, “The spot was an eye sore for the last many years. Whenever it was escalated to the officials at the PMC it was a one time clean up. But no concrete solution was provided. Hence, I decided to take up the task to clean and beautify. After it got cleaned, I approached many like-minded citizens for help as a social initiative. After consistent follow up, residents of neighboring societies joined in. The area was cleaned, the patch was covered with soil to level. Soon, the wall besides the area was decided to paint. Young children from Nyati Windchimes joined in to help and colour “.
” Looking up to PMC even for a tiny/ finer issues is incorrect on our part since they have a larger role to play. So I thought of doing just the bare minimum work my self contribution from Nyati Windchimes members. 5 weeks, 60 families, 50 k contribution amount and the look at the approach everyday is changed. Similarly, people can join up hands to atleast look after their immediate neighborhood and exert authority to ensure upkeep of such ‘no man’s lands, ” Col Kumar said.
He went a little ahead by painting the wall near the dumping spot. He involved around 12 kids from the societies around.
Pune Pulse spoke to Meenakshi Samtani, another resident of Nyati Windchimes in Undri who took the initiative of bringing the students from the neighbouring societies, she said, “The excitement children have after coloring the wall is beyond comparison. Everyday they are taking their other friends, relatives to show up the stretch they have coloured it. With this activity they have taken a strong message back home that care for environment should be our topmost priority.”
Kumar approached like minded people of his society Nyati Windchimes through a whatsapp group with an appeal for contribution and it worked to help this
He feels any unattended and unkept public space becomes a garbage dump and it was realised over the years that only available option is to give the area a makeover’ so that garbage dumping stops.
He truly made people realise the meaning of Be the change you wish to see.
