Tackling civic issues head on

While many of us only crib about issues like potholes, street lights and electricity, 64-year-old Gulshan Gev Bamboat, a resident of Sainikpuri, refused to only depend on the Municipal Corporation for solving such issues. She launched a campaign, Shramdaan, calling people to fix many arterial roads around the Secunderabad Cantonment area.

“I had to cross the Gough Road and it was very bad. Tired of all the whining, I called up a few friends who stay near my house and they agreed to help me fix the road. Since then, every Sunday, we go different roads and fill the potholes,” Gulshan shares, adding, “Surprisingly, after two Sundays of filling the potholes at Gough Road, the authorities came and laid new roads. The same also happened while we were working on fixing the Neredmet Cross Roads.” 

Gulshan is currently trying to mend the road below Ramakrishna Puram flyover. “The flyover is under the authority of the Army and as traffic from eight roads merge there, it is quite a risky place to drive. We are trying to repair that,” she stresses.

Explaining why she started the campaign, Gulshan says, “We always want the government to do everything. But, no one takes initiative to do something about what is bothering them and make the situation better themselves. The citizens should come together and participate in such campaigns. After all, the country is as much ours as it is of any politician.”