Thursday, August 19, 2010

Facebook campaign against BMC apathy gathers steam



Mumbai:

Within a day of its launch the online campaign on Facebook, protesting the municipal body's careless attitude towards pruning trees regularly had 130 members.

The Movement was started by the friends of Antara Telang (18), the FYBA student from St Xavier's College, who had her right leg amputated after a tree branch fell on her on July 24.

HT had on August 17, reported how Antara's friends were launching a protest against the civic body's callousness in trimming dangerous trees. Antara herself has designed a cartoon emphasizing the importance of trimming trees regularly.

Meanwhile, sever supporters of the online movement came up with suggestions on how to take the campaign forward. One such campaigner, Medha Joshi rued the fact that it had taken such a tragedy for people to wake up to the problem. Medha commented, saying: "It's a shame it should have taken a young girl's leg to bring this issue to our attention. If we all do our bit this may not happen again."

Another who pledged support for the campaign suggested that 'Gandhigiri' be the method of protest. "We should all take the gandhigiri route and send corn cobs along with a complaint to the BMC every day or every time that we see such overgrown trees needing pruning. it will remind them of their duties and the fatal incident."

Neha Sethi, Antara's friend said: "It is shocking to see how such accidents, which are always described by the BMC as 'freak' ones, can cost people their limbs and even their lives. Someone has to speak up against the callousness, before more limbs and lives are lost."

Another of Antara's close friends, Sadia Nazar added: "At least such a campaign should move these officials into taking some concrete steps."

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