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Dahanukar Colony Goes Green, Residents Plant Saplings, Clean Up Plot, Create Jogging Track
By akansha, Section Development  Their efforts have transformed an open space that was littered and frequented by drunkards into a clean place where group activities for children and seniors are conducted. The garbage dumped nearby has been removed. They have planted trees and also made a jogger's track, besides segregating wet and dry garbage. Now, the residents have taken up the work of cleaning the nullah that flows along the locality every Sunday. Deodatta Patankar, a mechanical engineer, told TOI: "If the residents and the administration work together it can make a big difference. "Apart from the civic administration, the responsibility to keep the surroundings clean also lies with citizens. We have made a conscious effort to do our bit," he said. Archaeologist Prakash Joshi, who is living here for more than two decades, was the first person to start cleaning the ground. "From 2004, I used to clean up the open space that is just opposite my house everyday from 8 am to 10 am. Drunkards, pigs and stray dogs would come and litter the place. In the rainy season it used to turn into a swamp full of mosquitoes and snakes. In 2007, some people formed the Dahanukar Colony(A) Vikas Mandal and decided to clean and maintain the open space,'' Joshi said. Source: Times Of India Dahanukar colony goes green Click On "Full Story" For More....
Now the open space has turned into a beehive of activities. "Trees are planted; playing equipment for children are provided; the `Bal Vikas Kendra' runs group activities for children; `Sakhi Mandal' holds social gatherings and programmes for senior citizens; and `Vachak Katta' encourages reading habits," he added.
Aparna Vernerkar, who conducts the activities, said that, since open spaces were becoming scarce day by day in cities like Pune, we felt that it was our responsibility to make proper use of the space. Another initiative of the residents was to remove the overflowing garbage container on the road. Local resident Sunita Walimba said that, with assistance from Deepak Dhelwan (PMC's sanitary inspector at Warje Karvenagar office) residents stopped littering on roads. A group of citizens, along with ward office workers, conveyed the message of keeping the area clean and kept a vigil for seven days from 7 am to 9 pm.
The residents have also taken up the cleaning up of the nullah. Around 40 people from neighbouring societies also joined hands in this drive along with the PMC staff. A 30-metre stretch was cleaned up on Republic Day and another 100 metres were cleaned on January 31. Dhelwan said that this drive was going to be a continuous effort on every Sunday from 8 am to 9 am.
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