Hyderabad: Driving denizens to clean up their act

Upset by the way litterbugs are wantonly defacing the beauty of city, a group of women are supplementing the sanitation drive of civic body, carrying an anti-litter movement in their own way, under the banner of ' Fenko MaTt ' (throw not). Peeved over the ubiquitous sights of garbage heaps lining streets and roads in the city, Fenko Matt members take up ridding the public spaces of dirt and grime and turning ugly eyesores into clean spaces.

It all started with a group of four women from different walks of life to embark on a sanitation and hygiene drive to pave the way for a cleaner city. Their idea is fast gaining favour with concerned citizens and many are joining hands, says Medha Naniwadekar, founder of Fenko MaTt movement and an architect .

"Everywhere we can see people littering in public places and this habit of throwing around trash is unbearable. Tolerance of such attitudes is main cause for mounds of garbage defiling our surroundings. People should take up ownership of maintaining and keeping surroundings wells. To motivate people not merely through preaching but by practice, we started Fenko MaTt in 2018 as a campaign against littering and garbage dumping. We use different methods to achieve sustained results."

Last week, they organised a Shramdaan programme in Defence Colony, on Sainikpuri-Vayupuri link road. Earlier such campaigns were held in places like Lal Bazar, Alwal and also in Khairatabad. They clean up the places, level up the ground, use stones, debris to make parking markings and even took up plantation. "We plan to continue this for a few more days to improve the visual appeal of the place. It is heartening that local establishments and people are coming forward," said the group members.

"As part of awareness drives to sustain our campaign, we have visited various shops and met with street vendors, especially in northeastern part of the city. We motivate them pick up their trash.

Micro and small and medium commercial establishments are the major contributors to the trash all over, because they are not well connected to the garbage collection system. Our movement specially is about causing a realisation in public mind as to their responsibilities to keep surroundings clean just as they do at home," says Meena Ravindran, a member of Fenko MaTt.

They also conduct Charity Bazar to help people de-clutter their homes and gift joy to the needy. People can donate household items such as kitchen & household items, clothing & linen, furniture, books, décor items, electrical and electronic goods in good working condition. Sale proceeds go to a charity.