I was walking past an unnamed bylane in my neighborhood, known to be rather dirty and untidy usually; I was pleasantly surprised to find this common and effective approach to prevent garbage dumping.
Benson Town’s Litter Free Lane (pic: Pushpa Achanta)
Upon inquiry, I learnt that area residents and worshippers at a chapel nearby worked with the local ward councilor to implement it. I plan to observe how long it lasts and replicate it elsewhere!
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When the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) receives a complaint about a pungent odour, it may be one among many environmental issues that require attention. But for thousands of residents living along the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) corridor—from Thiruporur to Sholinganallur—it has become a recurring nightmare. For the past several years, families in this rapidly growing residential area have lived with a constant uncertainty, not knowing when the next wave of foul-smelling air will arrive. On many evenings, the stench hits after 7 pm. On other days, it surfaces much later—sometimes after 11 pm or in the early hours…
“Who walks on footpaths anymore?” asks Abhay Shanbagh, a Vile Parle resident in his sixties. He says the footpath in front of his house is not even fully visible because of the cars parked along it and sometimes on it. Neha Dholam, a domestic worker who walks about two hours daily in Ghatkopar and Vile Parle, has a similar response. She wonders which footpaths I am talking about since they are barely visible behind parked vehicles en route to her workplace. This is the lived reality of so many Mumbaikars even though over half of all trips in Mumbai are…
Encouragingly, this lane has been garbage free for nearly 15 consecutive months – Providential, eh?