Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Citizens take steps to beautify city

Anasuya Menon

New York roads are their model for cleanliness

LEADING THE WAY: The footpath laid by Clean Vista on T.V. Swamy Road at R.S. Puram in the city . - Photo: M. Periasamy.

COIMBATORE: They envision a Coimbatore with roads akin to the clean streets of New York. Clean Vista, a group of citizens in Coimbatore, has set about cleaning up West T.V Swamy Road at R.S Puram.

Starting with converting this road to a model commercial street, it plans to expand its activities to other parts of the city, says Banumathi Janarthanan, Chairperson of Clean Vista.

It has planted nearly 80 saplings on the stretch of road from Kamakshi Amman Temple to T.M House and has also removed unauthorised advertisement hanging from the branches and nailed to the trees.

They are currently involved in straightening lamp posts, fitting street lights, widening footpaths and tarring the roads. Potholes are also being filled with concrete. "We also plan to have pedestrian crossings and parallel parking slots," Ms. Banumathi says. "It is not just about cleaning up the city. It is about making the city a beautiful place to live in," she adds. "We are also planning to have a directory put up on the road, which would have the ward number, contact numbers of water, electricity, accident/trauma and disaster management departments," Mrs. Janarthanan says. They are awaiting the Coimbatore Corporation's approval for putting up the directory.

Clean Vista has also re-laid the footpaths on either side of T.V. Swamy Road, increasing the width to nine feet after removing the encroachments. They have also persuaded shop owners to keep the area in front of their shops clean.

The group meets once a fortnight and the meetings are open to even residents who are not members of Clean Vista. "They talk about civic issues in their immediate locality that need to be addressed and we discuss the issue giving them suggestions and formulating an action plan," says Arjun Ganesan, who takes care of the public relations of Clean Vista.

Even though the response from the civic authorities has been slow, that from the public has been tremendous, asserts Chitra Nagendran, vice-chairperson of Clean Vista. A few corporates too have extended support in this direction, she says.

Educating the public on the segregation of wastes also forms an important part of the organisation's agenda.

Nearly 60 people attended the last meeting and the members of Clean Vista instructed them on how to segregate kitchen waste before disposing it, says Mrs. Janarthanan.

For details, contact 98940 31624 / 98432 16884.

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