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They do not wait for BMC to clean Dargah Street.....Ashutosh Shukla
Tired of waiting for the civic body to do its bit, residents of Dargah Street in Mahim have decided to keep their locality clean. The advanced locality management (ALM) of the area has hired a sweeper who works from 4 am to 10 am daily.
“Since there is a famous shrine here, many people visit the area, but do not think twice before littering it,” said Anwar Khan, president of the ALM.
With 40 buildings, two narrow roads and interconnecting by-lanes, the ALM pays Rs2,700 to the sweeper every month. “We provide a uniform, a mask and a hand band to the sweeper,” said Khan.
The residents contemplated on the problem when the menace of mosquitoes increased. “It was then when we thought that something had to be done,” said Zafar Khan, spokesperson of the ALM. The residents raised the money from people who were willing to contribute toward the cause.
For residents of Pestom Sagar area in Chembur, who recently won the civic award for the best society for cleanliness in the city, the sweepers are also the watchmen. “We have five sweepers who take care of our garden and also work as watchmen,” said Dr VM Sangole, joint secretary of Pestom Sagar Citizens Forum.
If Sangole is to be believed, they have even managed to curb chain snatching incidents in the area. “We have got the results, and 70 of the 110 societies do not mind contributing for the work,” said Sangole.
At Nariman Point and Churchgate, residents’ associations have appointed guards who inform the police if there is any problem in the area. “We have provided them with mobile phones. If they see any problem, they can contact the authority concerned,” said Swarn Kohli, president of Nariman Point-Churchgate Citizens Association.
Some residents are taking a keen interest in beautifying their areas. “We have four gardeners who work on the flower beds on both sides of Nargis Dutt Road,” said Madhu Poplai, secretary, Pali Hill Residents Association.
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