Chennai: “Help will always be given at Hogwarts (read Nanganallur) to those who ask for it” is a fitting maxim to describe the activity that took place last Sunday.
As planned, over 350 volunteers from the neighbourhood turned up to clean the tank and remove the garbage.
The volunteers included people representing from Rotary Club, Nanganallur Residents’ Federation, Voltas Colony Residents’ Welfare Associations, Bandit Runners, Rajini Makkal Mandram and other community groups and residents-at-large.
It may be noted that the Facebook post of 34th Street resident Prashanth Vijaykumar, also one of the coordinators, gathered huge momentum and brought people together to set the tank monsoon-ready.
“Two trucks of garbage were collected from the programme that lasted for around two hours. The Zonal Corporation officials, as promised, collected them for disposal. While the plastic waste was handed over separately, we were unable to segregate due to a lot of factors,” said Ram Ganesh, another coordinator and a resident of the neighbourhood.
The coordinators stated that plastic waste was found in large quantities among other things. “Apart from it, we found plenty of garbage disposed from the choultry where people perform the final rites of the dead. We realised that the residents must be responsible for the garbage they generate and advocated spot segregation,” Ram said.
With them preparing for the activity, help came calling when they were in need to acquire safety materials and first aid kits. “Former Councillor Barani Prasad helped us with getting permission and people came to us for sponsoring the necessary items required for the activity,” added Prashanth.
Among other priorities, they have set sapling plantation, waste segregation and rainwater harvesting as their agenda and is expected to take the movement forward in coming days.
Next up, to make the activity responsible, Prashanth said, he plans to invite the school children or kids residing in the community. “They take extra care to ensure the sapling they planted grows well.”
Prashanth and Ram can be reached at 99627 93027 and 98844 31437.