People of action

A COUPLE of years ago, residents of Lallubhai Park Area in Andheri (West) were ordinary people with the ``usual problems''. The garbage b...

A COUPLE of years ago, residents of Lallubhai Park Area in Andheri (West) were ordinary people with the “usual problems”. The garbage bins in the locality overflowed, hawkers set up shop outside their buildings, there were frequent break-ins and security was a problem. The 15,000-odd residents of the locality sporadically complained about it, but generally learned to live with it.

Then things changed for the better. Today, the Lallubhai Park Area Resident’s Association boasts of having transformed just another colony into a “self-sufficient, beautiful” locality, complete with good security arrangements and usable parks.

“Our association has proved that citizens don’t have to depend on government agencies for anything,” says Paresh Mehta, president of the association. “The government has provided the basic infrastructure, we citizens just need to build on it.”

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The revolution began when morning walkers in the area noticed that hawkers were slowly taking over the pavements. Some of the residentsorganised a small rally with the help of children from a nearby school to try and get the community together against the encroachments. The door-to-door initiative of a few residents brought together 200 concerned people and they went to the BMC.

They complained, hollered and finally decided that instead of depending on the municipal authority they should do try and solve the problem themselves. First they went to court and filed a writ petition questioning the presence of hawkers. The case is still in courts. Then they organised themselves and formed a core group. The next task was to collect funds. The core group requested every flat to contribute Rs 100. Some were prompt, the others needed a little cajoling. But at the end of it, the association had the money they needed.

With the funds, they began `Operation Clean-up’. To keep the hawkers at bay, the residents decided to do a spot of gardening. Outside the compound wall of every building, a flower bed was made. Today the blooming flowers ensure thatthe hawkers don’t line the compound walls and also make a pretty picture.

Next on the agenda was security. Faced with the problem of frequent break-ins, the residents decided to hire a private agency. In coordination with the police, they have hired three security guards and one Doberman to keep miscreants at bay.

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When garbage became unmanageable, the residents hired trucks and cleared it themselves. Now, they have bins at convenient locations and have got a private enterprise to keep their streets clean. They also put up postboxes and motivated postmen to be frequent and deliver mail on time. The entire face-lift of the colony has not cost the residents much. In fact, according to president of the association, money was collected from residents only once. The Rs 100 the residents put in at the beginning of the project has seen them through most of their beautification plans.

Delighted with the success of their do-it-yourself campaign, the ambitious residents are now planning detailed maps of thelocality that will help strangers find the right house.

And in a unanimous voice they say that “self help is the best help”.