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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Better societies lead to better economies, said Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Minister of Information Technology and Digital Services for Tamil Nadu. He was speaking at the India Civic Summit 2026, organised by Oorvani Foundation at IITM Research Park in Chennai, on February 14th. "The notion of a life with dignity should be the basis for social equity," he said, adding that citizens must not have to struggle for basic needs like drinking water, toilets, or hygiene. Rapid urbanisation has led to a model where announcements happen, but planning takes time, resulting in large-scale projects where execution may suffer, the minister said.…
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Encouragingly, this lane has been garbage free for nearly 15 consecutive months – Providential, eh?