How important is positive community action in the face of a disaster for people of a neighbourhood?
Residents of Raja Street in Mandaveli now know what it means to put their heads and hands together to address issues that the recent cyclonic weather created for them and for the city.
The members of the Mandaveli Raja Street RWA ( residents’ welfare association) were motivated to clean up its main street that was messed up look after the cyclonic weather.
Raja Street did not experience water logging; the residents had personally monitored the desilting work undertaken in November.
Local activists made sure that all the vents which get blocked with leaves were cleared continuously even as the monsoon set in.
Although the RWA had got the GGC’s park wing staff to prune the overgrown avenue trees just before the cyclone, the intensity of the cyclone was so severe that some huge branches came crashing down at multiple places as the rain poured down.
Residents patiently waited for the GCC conservancy and park teams to land up. Private tree-cutters charged a bomb and GCC staff seemed engaged with high priority work on the main roads.
When help was not forthcoming, these residents organised themselves and cleared the trees for free traffic movement. Men, women and youth joined the effort to clear the fallen vegetation.
- Report by Ganga Sridhar, a Raja Street resident
- YOU too can report local issues that can be published in MYLAPORE TIMES – mytimesedit@gmail.com.
This is a fine example for’Thann kaiye thanakudhavi’. ( thy hands thy help)
Yes. Smaller communities can find solutions to the civic problems on their own, just like the Raja Street, Mandaveli residents. The Decision making is easy when the entity is small, and area wise residents associations can always step in in keeping their surroundings more hygenic, clean on all seasons.
Once in 1970s we were residing in Raja Street. Now the area is being looked after by the residents association seems nice to our thoughts. Vazhga valamudan
Hi sisters and brothers in Mandaville ,
U have shown how a good Samaritan should be.congratulations to u all for the combined efforts u hve put in to keep ur street,locality safe.if all chennaites understand this action then we will not have to bear such suffering.
All blame the govt how much can govt do?we all should be responsible and help keep our streets clean.it is very essential to know that united we stand divided we fall.
God bless u all and keep you and ur loved ones safe healthy.
Regards.thank you so much once again for ur efforts and vo operation residents of raja street.
Veena gracemaria. Ayanavsram.chennai