COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT - A SUCCESS STORY

RAIN WATER MANAGEMENT, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT and SEWAGE TREATMENT  are the buzz words in today's urban life. Government awaits People's participation and people look forward for the implementation by the Government. Community participation is at many times defined as the essential basic element for today’s India and it is more or less so. One eagerly waits for the day when the twain meets.

Yesterday, a team of youngsters proved that they are different in many ways. They were not complaining, neither negatively analyzing nor picking up holes.

With the new upraise of the gated communities where there are absolutely strict controlled entrances for the outsiders, one gets to see many common interest developments. While I had my own views of these kinds of secluded heavens, it was an experience of a different kind when I had been to one such wonderfully managed hamlet yesterday! 

RB Residency, Chinnasandra Village, Bangalore is almost 16 kms from the heart of the city on Sarjapur road where some really enthusiastic youngsters are managing their locality for over ten years now. These youngsters name this as a Sustainable community and they are so very self sufficient that the civic values they have inculcated in their area is something infectious and worth emulating. They say “seeing is believing” and I tell you this one is for sure. 

The township with over 350 plots has around 150 villas already built and occupied. They have come up with a captive sewage treatment plant in a corner of the layout which treats roughly over 135000 liters of sewage in a single day. This treated water is used for gardening which also supplements raising water table. They segregate garbage too. Segregated garbage is sold and earned as revenue to the resident welfare society. 

To top it all, these youngsters are running rainwater harvesting successfully since 2004. Community level rainwater has jackwells for percolation of water too. You won’t believe, when the ground water is so depleted around, in this tiny hamlet, with the hard efforts of rain harvesting for over six years, there is a perceivable raise in water table- now just at 550 ft, they get the desired water underneath the ground. They get potable rain water. They run their swimming pool also through the rain water that they harvest. All the residents are living on this harvested water only.

They don’t depend much on the establishment at all. They are so self sustained, have spotlessly clean roads, sufficient potable water as well as the treated water, power facilities et al, the biggest strength lies in their common civic values. 

These youngsters had met me sometime back with an intention to lend their story of success to the society. They believed they owe something to it. The lakes around HSR layout have been taken up for rejuvenation by the civic agencies. These youngsters have prepared a blue print of how these lakes need to be rejuvenated. I paid a visit to all the lakes around the area with the Chairman, BWSSB in a bid to ascertain how helpful it would be if a proper rejuvenation process is in place along with community participation. 

If this kind of active community participation is emulated elsewhere in larger localities, (not to mention the gated communities alone) I believe we will be in for a revolution happening in the civic arena of the city. Bangalore will surely live up to the international standards. Government would surely chip in to help those who come forward to participate in such endeavor.

S SURESHKUMAR