'Alagana Kovai' drive in Ramnagar
Residents removing garbage at Ramnagar in the city as part of the Alagana Kovai drive of the Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore.Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore (RAAC) is planning to rope in National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers of the city colleges to step up its clean environs programme, Alagana Kovai.Association vice-president G. Soundararajan said recently that talks were on with the NSS Co-ordinator of Bharathiar University to involve the volunteers.Already RAAC Students Clubs had been formed and these students were expected to join the drive in a week. "They have not joined yet as many are out of town because of the summer vacation," Mr. Soundararajan said. Residents of Ramnagar joined volunteers of RAAC to remove shrubs along roads and garbage as part of the association's Alagana Kovai movement. The association carries out this programme in residential areas every Sunday to involve the public in maintaining clean environs.
The three-hour drive from 7 a.m. on Sunday (May 20) was carried out at Coimbatore Corporation wards 28 and 31. A press release from the association said that the people were told of the benefits of segregating biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. The volunteers also explained how biodegradable waste could be converted into manure. More than 30 residential colonies had been covered so far under the drive, the release said. "The drive is carried out every third Sunday in all these areas," Mr. Soundararajan said. On how far has the entire programme progressed, he said: "More than just solid waste management, the movement is turning into a platform for the residents to come together and identify various requirements for their areas. The councillors are also taking part very actively."For instance, a community hall was suggested recently at Senthil Nagar of Ward 14.The association had also mooted such a hall on a reserved site at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar near G.V. Residency and the Corporation had also sanctioned it.
