an article in INDIAN EXPRESS
Swayam Swachch Bharath - Lokakshemam Foundation
By Rajitha S
Published: 10th March 2016 07:14 AM
Last Updated: 10th March 2016 07:14 AM
HYDERABAD: After walking through the dirt -filled roads and noticing men relieving themselves in Secunderabad for almost 35 years, 50-year-old Prabhakar Talluri decided to take matters into his own hands.
Starting with one of the dirtiest junctions in the city, he along with around 13 volunteers cleaned up either side of the Secunderabad Railway Station, including the stinky entrance from the Rathifile Bus Stop.
“I started an NGO called Lokashemam (translates to -- for the better of the world) and got it registered only three months ago. It is a cost-effective organisation. We don’t employ anyone. We have only volunteers,” informs Prabhakar, who is the associate vice president at a private company.
Cleaning up the city was not the first thing on the agenda. Changing temperatures and increasing level of pollution was what he wanted to address. “There was no pollution when I was growing up. There was no water problem too. I wanted to gather people and do some rain water harvesting so that it helps increase the ground water level. But since that is seasonal, I wanted to work on something that is more immediate,” he explains.
He created a Facebook page for the NGO and that is where he met others. In the first week they cleared out the waste and beautified the entrace to the railway station from the Rathifile Bus Stop. “There was a traffic official who regulated the traffic. We also had a water tanker,” Prabhakar explains.
“There is a transformer near the bus stop infested with rats. That is also a cause for dirt to accumulate. So I the officials asked if it can be cleaned and fix a mesh around the transformer. They said they would do it,” he smiles.
He has approached two colleges and in his next trip to clean up the Rathifile Bus Stop, he will be accompanied by willing student volunteers.
“I alone cannot change the world and it is important that we work with the system that we are part of. Instead of sitting at home and blaming them, I decided to approach them for help and they cooperated. So it is a positive sign,” he signs off. He can be contacted through Lokakshemam Foundation on Facebook
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