Volunteers clear roads of loose, illegal cables

Here’s a group that picks up stray wires posing safety hazards to pedestrians and road users

One of Landmark Worldwide’s Self Expression Leadership Programme (SELP) projects, ‘Clear the Sky’, aims at ridding the city of hazardous illegal wires and cables. They also work to eliminate wires and cables in the way of vehicular traffic and pedestrians.

Jayanth, head of products at Tripro, volunteers for the initiative and was introduced to it by a colleague in 2005. He currently heads the ‘Clear the Sky’ campaign. About 31 volunteers are working with him on different projects across the city.

His cousin’s death in an accident caused by wires on the road prompted Jayanth to join the cause.

“There is a need to spread awareness about this issue. We need more people to take the initiative to do away with these wires and contribute,” he asserts.

The project was initiated in JP Nagar and has witnessed some progress. “We plan to take it citywide, to Double Road and some other places,” he says. The volunteers take up the problem first with the local authorities and the residents’ associations. They create campaigns where they send pictures to the authorities and provide details. They also suggest how the problem can be addressed.

Landmark’s programmes include health and fitness initiatives for citizens. Sriram Pulavarti, member of SELP and a logistics professional, elaborates, “We work towards helping people inculcate good habits. This has resulted in an improvement of their relationships and better performance at work and college.”He adds that such programmes were conducted in apartment complexes where they are open to all.

The project is organised by a group of seven to eight volunteers, and includes members of SELP.

The idea is for people to participate and stay healthy, he says.