Natasha Almeida
MUMBAI, DECEMBER 4, 2009: The month of November saw Don Bosco Development Society organize two important events in the city of Mumbai. The first one being a ‘ Cleanliness Campaign’ at Prakash Nagar, Mahim and the other an ‘Issue based Meeting’ at Kane Nagar, Antop Hill.
Ten students from Tilak Maharashtra University in collaboration with DBDS organized a Cleanliness Campaign at Prakash Nagar, Mahim where DBDS has its centre for community classes. Before the idea of the Cleanliness Campaign evolved the students of the community class participated in a drawing competition based on cleanliness organized by the students from Tilak Maharashtra University and DBDS. The women who attend community classes also showed interest by participating in a group discussion based on Garbage Management.
The competitions and discussions led to a Cleanliness Campaign on November 18, 2009. Mr. Dalvi Beat officer from Mahim police station helped in the awareness of the campaign. The Guest of Honour for the occasion was Mr. Subhash Patil, Senior Officer of the Garbage Management Department at the BMC. People who participated in the campaign were those who primarily reside at the Mahim Police Quarters and the slums of Prakash Nagar. On the occasion Mr. Patil spoke on Solid Waste Management and a short informative film was screened on the same issue. “Disposing garbage in the right way is the duty of a responsible citizen”, he said. Ms. Surekha Pednekar from DBDS explained that if we need to keep our society disease free we need to stress on cleanliness not only inside our homes but also on the outside. The children from the community classes put up a short play depicting the importance of disposing dry garbage and wet garbage in the right way.
On November 24, 2009, an issue based meeting organized by DBDS in collaboration with the ‘Ration Kriti Samiti’ was held at the Kane Nagar, Antop Hill. Gharib Niwas Khana, Kane Nagar, an undeclared slum of Mumbai holds 200 houses and a population of 1200 people. The main agenda of the meeting was to secure Ration Cards for the slum dwellers of Kane Nagar. Approximately 50 people attended the meeting. Mr. Sandeep Suman from Ration Kriti Samiti briefed the attendees on the right to food. Considering that everyone has a fundamental right to be free from hunger DBDS in collaboration with personnel from
Ration Kriti Samiti will help them secure basic food through Ration Cards. The meeting also focused on ways and means to curb corruption at the local shopkeeper to consumer level. Ms. Surekha Pednekar from DBDS who was present for the meeting said, “The right to food is a human right and is a binding obligation well-established under international law, recognized in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. These slum dwellers also have the right to adequate food.”
The follow up meeting on this issue will be held on December 6, 2009, where forms to secure Ration Cards for the dwellers of Gharib Niwas Khana will be filled in.