Footpaths and Streets of ‘Elavanka’
I have been living in Elavanka, now called as Yelahanka, from the past 8 months. I have been actively observing the streets, footpaths, buildings, eateries in and around Yelahanka when I am running my daily errands. I generally prefer walking whenever I am stepping out for short distances. For longer distances, I usually travel on my motorcycle to save time. While walking in Yelahanka it is difficult to miss how the footpaths, meant for safe walking, have been blocked with dumps of dry leaves and is heavily littered with foul-smelling garbage. Riding a motorcycle is no less than an adventure as one has to avoid unattended potholes every minute. The livability of this beautiful place has gone downhill due to such carelessness.
This sad state of affairs is certainly a very debatable and questionable subject. One can always ask — are the communities/people living in Yelahanka responsible for this? Is it a problem with the politicians or government who are not addressing these issues since so many years? Isn’t this a collective responsibility of the society as a whole to maintain general hygiene?
To tackle these long-standing problems some actions definitely have to be taken. I believe everyone should do their bit for the society. I have taken baby steps to tackle this through my postcards series — through which I aim to create awareness among the people of Yelahanka. Anyone and everyone can send/exchange these cards with each other and with the politicians/government officials. I am sure this will capture a tiny bit of everyone’s attention and will occupy a tiny place in the back of their minds. I hope that gradually everyone will realize that it is their duty too to keep Yelahanka clean and beautiful.
