Swachh Mluru! St Theresa School Children & Local Activists Clean Mallikatta Area
Mangaluru: Are we Mangaloreans getting used to live in midst of dirt and garbage dumps?? Are we accepting the public places all around our surroundings can be dirty? Is it not the responsibility of the local government to ensure that we live in clean, hygienic and safe environment? What is the responsible of local residents about this??
Students of the St. Theresa School under the guidance of their school management and local civic activist Nigel Albuquerque of MCC Civic Group and other activists joined hands to cleanup the park near Mallikatta circle. Students about 30 in numbers and some local civic activists took responsibility of cleaning the park by themselves. From 8.30 am to 10.30 am they cleaned the park. The park was filled with lots of glass bottles (as there is wine shop across the road), lots of papers, plastic cups beside the dead leaves from the plants. The coastal water supplier watered the park after cleaning. It was an announcement by the students to the general public that it is time for all to join hands and keep our surrounding clean. It is time to get local participation in keeping our environment clean and tidy.
Rajendra Kumar, who also participated in the cleaning up activity, consider that it is the responsibility of the local government (MCC) along with its elected representative (local corporator) to ensure that the tax payer money is spent towards maintenance of the local public places. The governments do claim that they are spending money towards these and are reflected in their spending too. Unfortunately the ground realities are different. The system is at fault and it is difficult to pin point anyone for this mess we are living. Had there been a ward committee consisting of the local population, this issue would have addressed satisfactorily. Consider ward committee discussing this park issue and decided to take up the cleaning.
The local corporator is required to speak to the MCC officials and get the things moving as per ward committee instructions. And when actually the cleaning takes place, the ward committee can oversee and also local public will get involved in large number as it is their park and they have to ensure their own backyard clean. And they have their ward committee with them. Rajendra Kumar, who is considering contesting for the coming MCC election, strongly feels that ward committee and Area Sabha is a must and should be in place in all wards. This will ensure participation of general public in the civic administration and thus ensure the tax payers money is spent as per the ward requirement and not at the will of local corporator.
Prior to the cleanliness drive, the children held a cleanliness panel and walked in procession to the spot for cleaning. St Theresa School principal Sr Philomena set the programme in motion. Vice principal Sr Shanti was also present.