For a `cleaner and greener' Basavanagudi

For a `cleaner and greener' Basavanagudi

The Hindu

The campaign will be initially launched in 40 schools

BANGALORE: Members of the Basavanagudi ward committee on Friday decided to launch a massive health and sanitation programme for a "cleaner and greener" Basavanagudi from July 1.

The campaign will be initially launched in the 40 schools of Kempe Gowda Nagar, V.V. Puram and Basavanagudi, the three wards coming under the Basavanagudi Assistant Revenue Office (ARO) range. The members decided to circulate pamphlets that specify the dos and don'ts for children, tips to maintain cleanliness and also remain healthy. The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike's (BMP) health inspectors will visit schools and interact with children on health and sanitation issues. They will also deliver an hour's talk in each school every week.

"We will create awareness about these issues among the children and let them take it to their homes and neighbourhood," the members said.

Anti-rabies vaccine

A few residents who attended the meet complained that the BMP's health centres did not have adequate stock of anti-rabies vaccine.

The former Mayor, P.R. Ramesh, (V.V. Puram), who also heads the committee, said he would speak to the Chief Health Officer (CHO) about this and ensure that the vaccine was made available easily.

When some members suggested that a skating track be set up in the M.N. Krishna Rao Park for children, Mr. Ramesh and the Kempe Gowda Nagar corporator, B.S. Satyanarayana, said it could be discussed and a decision taken at the next meeting. "We can send a proposal to the BMP after that," Mr. Satyanarayana said.

Meetings

The State Government and the BMP had set up 30 ward committees in the city in June 2003 to decentralise power at the local level.

Though the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (Ward Committee) Rules 1997, make it mandatory for every ward committee to meet monthly and discuss civic problems, most of the committees are yet to start functioning. But Mr. Ramesh claimed that the Basavanagudi committee met regularly and discussed various civic problems.

Each revenue range in the BMP (covering three to four wards) has one committee and the Assistant Revenue Officers are the convenors.