A GROUP of homemakers has done what the civic body's Clean Up! marshals failed to achieve - a zerogarbage neighbourhood.

Thirty-five women, aged 27 to 80, made it their mission to ensure that no one throws a mint wrapper on their street or plucks daisies along the garden path.

Having tasted success - the crusade began in 2005 and has helped install a garbage-segregation system and discourage the use of plastic bags - they are now on a mission.

Under the banner of the Hiranandani Estate Locality Management Forum, they aim to rope in all the households in the complex.

"They're doing a terrific job," said builder Niranjan Hiranandani. "We provide the facilities, but it's groups like these that boost them. I firmly believe that women can cause social change."

It began when Vibha Jhawar de cided to replicate Churchgate's cleanliness model. "I shifted from Churchgate, where we segregated garbage. I decided to look at the system here," said the 56-year-old.

Fortunately for Jhawar, the builder had provided a biogas plant, which was supposed to help decompose kitchen waste that would otherwise take years to degrade at a dump.

"I found that only 250 kg of waste was reaching the plant due to lack of awareness," said Jhawar.

This prompted her to start with her own building; homemakers of the 100 occupied flats decided to take turns in the morning to monitor the segregation.

Soon, word spread and by March 2006, the neighbouring building decided to follow suit. "We charted out a plan to involve women, who are the kitchen managers of the house and therefore the starting point for the process," said Chandra Rao (46). "We identified one woman from each building, approached the building secretary, explained the importance of segregation and showed them how to achieve zero-garbage."

The segregation process was also explained to the housekeeping staff, sweepers and civic workers.

Today, residents of 25 buildings help collect the 2,500 kg of biodegradable waste that goes in the biogas plant. The best part, say residents, is that it is convenient and there is no pressure to deal with the responsibility. "One can monitor segregation at 7.30 am after seeingoff children to the school," said 47year-old Veena Kaushik.

Residents have now started discouraging the use of plastic bags, and people who pluck flowers.

 MAKING A DIFFERENCE ¦

1. In 2005, Vibha Jhawar, a resident of Tiara building in Hiranandani estate, decides to start segregating garbage as a part of the locality management initiative. Soon other building occupants join. 

2.  Word spreads and by March 2006, the neighbouring building Wellington follows suit.

3. Today, 35 women, under the banner of the Hiranandani Estate Locality Management Forum, ensure that Hiranandani Estate is a zero-garbage, no-plastic zone. 

4.  The forum members dissuade people from littering, plucking flowers and also promote the use of cloth bags.

URL: http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/artMailDisp.aspx?article=08_03_2008_003_003&typ=1&pub=264