The North Gopalapuram Residents Welfare Association can probably offer a primer to other geographically-defined communities in the other parts of the city on how to make collective resolutions and stick to them through the year.
A raft of civic problems they want addressed are part of the New Year’s resolution list that the Association’s executive committee has drafted.
“Before taking up the various issues with the respective civic agencies, residents have to mend their ways wherever they have to and this thinking has led to the list we have prepared for the residents,” explains K.S. Subramanian, the association president.
1. Residents should refrain from dumping waste on the streets and around the garbage bins. After they have done their part, they will approach the authorities to do their bit. “We will give written representations to the Corporation authorities to ensure door-to-door collection of garbage is done on a daily basis. We will also cooperate with the conservancy staff by segregating waste into wet and dry waste,” he says.
2. Residents should water and take care of the plants provided by the Association at their respective streets.
3. Residents should not allow their pet animals to dirty platforms.
4. Residents should take charge of safety-related issues at their streets and promptly report any problem to the Association.
The executive committee has also drawn up a detailed action plan for resolving certain recurrent problems in the neighbourhood. Some of the strategies for change are out-of-the-box.
According to the Association treasurer Chellasamy, two streets in the locality have not been receiving Metrowater supply for the last three years. Since repeated complaints to Metrowater officials have not yielded any result, the committee plans to make it a ‘human rights’ issue. “We plan to approach the Human Rights Commission to see this grievance redressed. We plan to underscore a UN Resolution passed by the United Nations in 2002, to the Commission. As per the General Comment No. 15 on the right to water, adopted by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, ‘the human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses’,” he points out.
“Illegal, unauthorised and haphazard parking of cars in the area” is among the other problems faced by residents of this neighbourhood. They have discussed the matter with the Commissioner of Police, Traffic and will follow up with the police authorities regularly.
“The committee members will personally interact with the residents to enable them to adopt, follow and cooperate in keeping these promises,” says Subramanian.
The North Gopalapuram Residents Welfare Association comprises residents from Besant Road, Rathinam Street, Shanmugam Road, Govardhan Street, North Gopalapuram First and Second, Tandavarayan Street – one, two and three.
Published - December 30, 2016 12:49 pm IST
