A modest beginning to a model venture

By V.N. Harinath

HYDERABAD, AUG. 24. The resident welfare associations of Umanagar, Methodist colony and B.S. Maktha have entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad to take up sanitation and related works as a community partnership model.

Beginning with sanitation, other civic problems like solid waste management would be taken up later. The idea was to create and develop a model for community partnership initiative which could be replicated in other parts of the city. As a part of the initiative, the responsibility of ensuring cleanliness in the locality would be with members of the associations.

Apart from members of these associations, representatives of the associations in Jubilee Hills, West Marredpally and other areas witnessed the signing of the MoU last week. Members of the associations from other areas explained their problems and sought clarifications. Most of the members felt that the Government agencies were in pro-active mode and that it was up to the resident associations to take up the initiative.

Mr. Agarwal, Deputy Executive Engineer, Circle V, Mr. Ramakrishna, Horticulture Officer, and Capt. Manohar Sharma, president of the association in Umanagar, distributed uniforms to men and women who would help the associations maintain cleanliness while the residents planted 150 saplings to mark the occasion.

Ms. Gita Dendukuri, secretary of the association, Methodist colony, explained the activities of the association while Prof. M.V. Nayudu of the association in Umanagar spoke on the objectives of the initiative. Maj. (retd.) Shiva Kiran of B.S. Maktha detailed the locality information management system (LIMS) developed for the colonies using the geographic information system and the global positioning system.

Use of LIMS

He explained that as per the MCH nomenclature, the city has been divided into 254 localities and B.S. Maktha, Umanagar and Methodist colony were part of locality No. 06054. The total area of the locality was about 5.5 sq km. With LIMS, he said it was possible to raise queries and identify areas where water bills and various taxes were not paid.

The system would also help in the location of apartments, electricity poles and sewerage manholes. If the civic agencies used LIMS they would be in a better position to service the areas under their jurisdiction, he observed. Dr. P.K. Mohanty, MCH Commissioner, Mr. Jagannadha Rao, Additional Commissioner, Mr. Rajendra Prasad and Mr. Venkat Rao, Medical and Health Officers, were among those present.

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Section  : Southern States
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