Twenty-nine years ago a body of spirited men and women founded Welfare Organisation For Road Safety and Prevention of Accidents as they were genuinely alarmed and concerned about the high incidence of road mishaps, the toll of human life and an almost absence of prevention measures and safety awareness. Besides road safety and prevention of accidents, the WORSPA undertook to spread its message of safety to other spheres like safe handling of gas, kerosene stoves and gas cylinders. For the purpose, live demonstrations were organised at the school premises through the expertise of a Petroleum Company. WORSPA, founded by Edward Alva, has come a long way since. Alva (82) worked with Metro Cinema for 40 years. Today, the organisation has around 250 members. Even at this age, Alva continues to be a very active worker. "When I get on with something I do not look at the watch. All I bother about is the job that I have undertaken," he says.Another life-saving service of the WORSPA is the free distribution ofAccident Carry Cards (ACC) to all citizens 10,000 or more annually. These cards have proved their worth for the essential medical data of the holder to facilitate admission to hospitals in the event of accidents, emergencies and traumatic care, thereby minimising delays resulting from tests that are normally carried out prior to medication.The WORSPA also took a bold step in 1996 by launching a project entitled `People's Movement'. This one was in collaboration with two other NGOs - the Consumer Guidance Society of India and the Society For Clean Environment - to assist the BMC in its drive to clean Mumbai, by enrolling volunteers of all ages. The movement is working satisfactorily and more and more volunteers are coming forth. "We wanted to get to the root of safety. When the BMC launched its Clean Mumbai drive, an idea struck me and we jumped into the fray," says Alva. Encouraged by the success of the `People's Movement', the WORSPA launched another project called `Pavements for Pedestrians'.Volunteers enrolled for this project are issued identity cards and they are expected to report all types of encroachments on the pavements and the non-existence of pavements to their respective ward officers in the format provided by WORSPA.It is heartening to note that both the projects are functioning satisfactorily. The success of the projects has motivated them to launch yet another project. It is proposed to channelise youth power to carry out a survey of the roads/streets/lanes/pavements all over the city so that the findings of the survey are passed on to BMC, to enable it to comply with the directions issued to it by the Bombay High Court. Then the civic body will take remedial measures with regard to the existing pavements, or the newly constructed pavements. The corporation would also see that they are kept free from encroachments as far as possible.Worspa is bent upon marching on forever and making Mumbai a better living place.
