Clean
Ahmedabad Campaign
Increasingly
people are becoming aware of the lack of clean surroundings in
cities and its health consequences. The poor in the slums especially,
face piling of garbage, filthy and insufficient number of toilets,
overflowing drains, stagnant pools and polluted drinking water,
which spread disease and make their lives miserable. However,
it is not the poor alone who can solve these problems. Those living
in better of areas have come to realise that lack of cleanliness
in one part of the city, will affect the health of all. Due to
various constraints, the public authorities are unable to adequately
handle the huge problems of the cities and this has given rise
to the "Clean Ahmedabad" campaign since 1994.
In
areas where most SEWA members live, mostly in irregular settlement
clusters, the campaign is solely conducted by SEWA. Continuous
mohalla level meetings bring out the problems and raise awareness.
The women leaders from the areas then take up the issues with
help and guidance from SEWA organisers. The women leaders from
the areas then take up the issues with help and guidance from
SEWA organisers. Generally, the leaders organise simple garbage
cleaning within the community, but for infrastructure issues like
broken drain pipes, polluted drinking water and toilets they contact
and co-ordinate with the municipal authorities. Continuous education
in cleanliness and discussion with members, ongoing identification
of local needs and daily co ordination and pressuring of the municipal
authorities are the elements of this campaign.
In
the middle class residential areas, the campaign is conducted
in collaboration with other organisations- where local residents’
organisations and a few corporate companies are very active. The
paper picker members of SEWA are in the forefront of the campaign
as they are the real cleaners and recyclers of the dry garbage
of Ahmedabad. They are allocated certain areas to keep clean and
each house is supplied with a SEWA bag for collection to be replaced
when filled. There is an ongoing education campaign on cleanliness
with the residents. The women then collect and re-sell the dry
waste. This is their only source of employment. And at the same
time they regularly keep Ahmedabad clean.
In 1999, "Arogya
Bhaginis’ were active in twelve wards of Ahmedabad city.
The campaign is encouraging people to separate dry and wet waste;
thus "Arogya Bhaginis" generate employment for themselves
and keep our city clean.
Top
