MUMBAI, June 2: If the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Dignity Foundation have their way, Mumbaikars will no longer have to walk on streets filled with garbage and overflowing gutters.In an innovative experiment, the Dignity Foundation organised a `Model street contest' where the participants had to ensure that their streets were absolutely clean which meant no garbage, no building debris or even grease stains of trucks or buses. Representatives from all the 23 wards took part in the contest. Eleven streets were adjudged as model streets. The winners were given a cash prize of Rs 11,000 at a function held today.``Viren Merchant, a resident of Joshi street in Ghatkopar was the first one to get people motivated towards cleaning up Joshi Street, the street on which he stayed. This idea was then adopted by the Dignity Foundation,'' said M Peraira a Dignitarian from Ghatkopar.The simple modus operandi relies on the elderly population. ``We go out on the streets early in the morning when the BMCworkers are cleaning up. Then if we see any dirt or garbage which has not been cleared, we intimate the BMC officials and they clean up the area,'' explains Peraira.According to him, the civic workers are encouraged to work better when the residents cooperate. ``The BMC holds regular meetings with the people residing on a particular street where they are asked to keep their garbage out at a particular time and not throw it around,'' says G B Nivergi, a junior overseer with the BMC.The award winning streets are Nariman Road (ward G/South), Bhikoba Pathare Marg (G/North), Vachraj Lane (F/North), Dharavi Street 3 (H/East), Church Avenue (H/West), Minu Desai Marg (A), Vallabhnagar Road (R/North), Navroji Lane (N), Derasar Lane (N), Shri Balaji Lane (N), Joshi Lane (N).
