DPS students show the way

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, february 8

They call themselves “Harbingers of Change”. Eleven students from Delhi Public School, Ludhiana, have won the National-level Civic Fest held in Bengaluru. They faced a tough fight against the other three teams from Bengaluru, Kolkata and Mumbai, representing the three zones. This project has been undertaken by more than 35,000 students of Class VIII drawn from about 350 schools across the country.
After choosing a stretch of Hambran Road from Bassi Hospital to Haibowal Chowk and carrying out an initial survey, the students identified and analysed the problems identified in a survey conducted by them. The survey was conducted as per the guidelines provided by the Bala Janaagraha, a Bengaluru-based NGO. They chalked out a plan of action, met the authorities concerned, both legislative and executive, and conducted an awareness drive on the site. They motivated the local shopkeepers, residents and commuters to pledge to support their initiatives.
The names of the students are Bhavya Jindal, Gurleen Kaur, Tanvi Arora, Mathanki Mehra, Aryan Anand, Harnoor Kahlon, Gurmehar Singh, Garv Chawla, Sukhpreet Singh, Pratham Beri and Samya Pathak.
They showcased their actions through a Power Point and verbal presentations during the competition.
They met and sought cooperation from officials of the MC, district administration, Health Department. Most of their proposals were implemented one by one. These included sewerage work, laying of underground cables, filling up potholes and recarpeting the road, repairing and painting dividers, marking lanes, parking lines and zebra crossing, installing cats’ eyes, repairing streetlights, plantation and pruning of trees, etc. They’ve been awaiting the nod for the allotment of space for setting up bio-toilets in a bylane park along the selected road.
They have designed a website. Some innovative steps such as Citizen’s Reporting and Mapping Tool, Piezo electric tiles that generate electricity with change in pressure gradient are being explored for installation at zebra crossing, the students said. All relevant information is posted on a Citizen’s Charter installed at a strategic location. Police Helplines and WhatsApp number have also been displayed on the website as well as Citizens’ Charter installed on the road.
Group leader Bhavya Jindal said it was very easy to point a finger at someone if things went wrong but what everyone needed to realise is that the government alone couldn’t turn society around. The onus lies on the younger generation to take initiative and start making a change around us, she added.