Even as large sections of the public blame the civic administration for all the perils of the city, a residents’ association in the heart of the city has set a model for the upkeep of their area and has been duly recognised for their feat.
The 138-household-strong Jawahar Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association (JNRWA) was adjudged one of the best residents’ associations in the country under the Swachh Bharat Urban of the Union Ministry of Urban Development for its waste management and environmental protection initiatives during the launch of the city ranking survey, Swachh Sarvekshan 2017, earlier this month.
So impressed was the District Suchitwa Mission that it is encouraging other residents’ associations to emulate the initiative for a better ranking of the city in urban cleanliness.
The Clean Green Jawahar Nagar initiative, launched after the residents’ association was selected by the Kochi Corporation for its Clean Kochi programme this February, had institutionalised a cleaning campaign whereby association members, split into four area-wise clusters, undertake a cleanliness drive for two hours from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. every second Saturday.
During the drive, plastic and biodegradable waste are collected and segregated, waste littered on roads and public spaces are removed and wild shrubs and plastic dumped on vacant plots are cleaned. The initiative has effectively put an end to the stray dog menace. The association is now undertaking organic farming in 44 cents, including the cleaned-up vacant plots.
Plastic waste is now being sent to a recycling plant operated by Credai. “We are now in the process of identifying land to set up a plastic shredding unit with the assistance of the Kochi Corporation,” said Ajith Muhammed, secretary, JNRWA.
The association had held initial discussions with Credai to replace biopots at individual households with miniature compost tanks for a cluster of households. “We are aiming at converting the entire waste generated into manure in another two to three years,” said Mr. Muhammed.
The timely pre-monsoon works, including cleaning of drainages and canals, removal of roadside weeds and bushes and clipping of obtrusive tree branches by engaging cleaning workers on their own had averted water logging in the area and prevented roads from getting damaged.
An anti-dumping squad formed by the association caught the act of dumping of waste in videos and circulated them in the social media. Complaints were lodged with the police and hefty fines were also slapped.
The association gave a facelift to three parks and formed a corpus fund for developing the central park for elders. The fund, which has now exceeded Rs.2 lakh, was used to raise and level the ground while works on walkways and other amenities are under way.
Women members of the association were given training in making eco-friendly cloth bags, using unused saris and clothes, to replace plastic bags.
