The visitors to Fergusson College Road (FC Road) on Monday evening had a pleasant surprise when they saw clean streets and vendor-free pavements. The second cleanliness drive, conducted by Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti (DGPS) and FC Parisar Samiti (FCPS), in association with the staff of Ghole Road ward office, made this possible.
The volunteers and PMC personnel not only picked up litter, but also tried to sensitise the people and shopkeepers about garbage segregation and dengue.
The time for issuing notices is over and now, they will fine people. Shops that create garbage and shops that do not have dust bins are being fined. Even vendors encroaching on the footpath are being fined and their stocks being confiscated, said IS, Senior Sanitary Inspector of Ghole Road ward office.
The volunteers showed a video to passers by depicting the plight of FC Road. They even interacted with people on the streets urging them to avoid littering. Most shops had installed dustbins in their shops after the previous drive. They even showed the PMC personnel that they were segregating the garbage.
Going a step ahead, some shopkeepers also actively participated in the drive and joined the volunteers in picking up the waste from the streets.
However, a drawback of the planned drive was that the street vendors fled as soon as the civic vehicles reached the spot. They are planning surprise visits so that they can get hold of the vendors. They will visit on a Sunday in regular clothes but with our identity cards so that the vendors are caught by surprise. However, their main focus will remain garbage, said Health officer, Ghole Road ward office.
According to him, the main motive of the drive was to create awareness among people rather than just imposing fines. They are looking for people’s participation and cooperation rather than scaring them with fine and punishment.
Source: Sakaaltimes, Nov’14
