City Pulse

Bangalore is struggling to cope up with the complex civic issues caused by rapid urbanisation. To resolve these issues, citizens need to join hands with the civic authorities and hence facilitate positive change. Eliciting this active citizenship was the main aim of Janaagraha’s ‘I Change My Street’ Campaign. The impact has been tremendous with success stories being reported from different corners of Bangalore.

Over 10,000 people, including school students and adults, participated in the campaign on November 7. They walked away with a sense of contentment for having brought about a change that was there to stay. Here are some stories from across the city that testifies to the idea that active citizenship could be a solution to various developmental issues faced by our city.

Viveknagar receives facelift

Students from Shantiniketan High School in Viveknagar had to play hopscotch in order to avoid stepping on garbage. With litter and feces scattered around the school, the atmosphere in the neighbourhood hampered a more conducive environment for learning.

Although there were several cleanup activities in the neighbourhood, permanent change was never seen. The school authorities even resorted to painting religious symbols on the school compound walls to stop people from urinating and defecating but to no avail.

It was here when Janaagraha decided to step-in through the I Change My Street campaign. Janaagraha employees Sunil Arland and Kiran Kumar, posted a complaint on the miserable condition in the area on IChangeMyCity.

Once they received information on the BBMP engineer who was assigned the task, they followed up with him, besides meeting the area Corporator and urged him to resolve the issue.

On November 7, the process of change began. The entire stretch received a facelift. The broken road was concretised by the BBMP while citizens who participated in the I Change My Street Campaign painted the school compound walls.

“It was overwhelming to see visible change. However, to make it permanent there was a need to create change in people’s attitude and this could be done only through awareness,” says Sunil.

Hence, Kiran and the schoolchildren set out to the slums around the school and motivated people to be active citizens.

As for the children, they are now happy to go to their school without covering their noses.

From a roller-coaster to a smooth ride

Riding on Palace road under Railway Bridge in Vasanth Nagar was every motorist’s nightmare, as this road was decked with potholes. Waterlogging during rains made matters worse. The dangerous road conditions have also caused two accidents in the recent past.

Krishna Kumar decided not to turn a blind eye and posted a complaint on IChangeMyCity. He also followed up with the authorities concerned. To his surprise, when he travelled to his office on November 8th, he saw that the road was neatly patched up.

“You feel contended, to know that you are a change maker,” says an enthralled Krishna Kumar.

Battling garbage at Air force School

The footpath outside Air force school was a garbage collecting point. This made the entire area stink. One could not use the footpath as it was broken. Garbage, debris, and pushcarts parked on the footpath made mobility very difficult.

When the chances of a resolution looked bleak, I Change My Street campaign took up the challenge. On November 7, a cleanup and painting drive was undertaken; the garbage cleared and walls squeaky clean.

However, to make change sustainable there was a need involve all the stakeholders to find a permanent solution. A meeting was arranged between the Traffic Police Inspector, Corporator as well as the school officials.

This led to remarkable decisions such as construction of a new median, making the area a No Parking zone as well as having the footpath repaired.

Janaagraha employee Shivanand who managed the I Change My Street event at Air Force School opines that if the citizens demand for better civic services, then change will beckon. “To make change permanent, it is necessary that all the stakeholders are involved,” he adds.