In Bengaluru, residents of HSR Layout set an example in civic consciousness

Taking pride in their locality comes easy to the residents of HSR Layout. It is one of the cleanest localities in Bengaluru. From holding open-streets to banning plastic to segregating waste at source, HSR Layout has done it all. Now, cycle lanes are the latest to make an entry into the layout. Inspired by this, many other areas in Bengaluru are banning plastic and becoming more civic conscious.

It has taken years of effort by many residents, especially volunteers of the HSR Citizen Forum to achieve these goals. Dr Shanthi Tummala gave up a lucrative career as a dentist over two years ago to devote all her time to waste management in the layout. She has been one of the prime reasons for the transformation. “I realised I couldn’t manage both a career and this voluntary work. So I gave up one to concentrate on the other,” said Shanti in a report in Deccan Chronicle. Today, 15 tonnes of wet waste goes out of HSR Layout with almost 90 per cent of the households here segregating waste at source. Kavitha Reddy, another key person in waste management at the layout, says, “We have conducted workshops in parks and temples and have also put up hoardings in front of parks about waste segregation as most of the people are not clear about it. We plan to do this in about 15 parks.”

As many as seven major black spots were fixed in the layout by the people, who went on massive cleaning drives and planted saplings to prevent further dumping of garbage in these parts.

Every third Sunday of the month, cycling enthusiasts come out in huge numbers to cycle in the area. HSR Layout was the first locality to hold Cycle Days locally. They not only promote cycling on these days, but also involve children in various traditional games. Now 17 other localities are doing the same.

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