From one man’s vision to a people’s movement, Clean Green Panunda sets an example in community participation
Every Sunday before dawn, while most villagers are still asleep, more than 60 volunteers comprising schoolchildren, homemakers, government employees, retirees, and workers assemble in Panunda
Every Sunday before dawn, while most villagers are still asleep, more than 60 volunteers comprising schoolchildren, homemakers, government employees, retirees, and workers assemble in Panunda village in Pinarayi panchayat in Kannur, Kerala, with brooms and gardening tools. What started seven years ago as one man’s effort to fill potholes and clear overgrown roadsides has evolved into ‘Clean Green Panunda,’ a registered voluntary collective that has become a model for community participation in environmental conservation and cleanliness. The organisation has over 180 registered members and a WhatsApp network of around 250 volunteers. Every Sunday, members clean nearly 3 km of roads, bus shelters and public spaces across Panunda, Pottanpara, Eruvatty, and Oliyakkara wards. They also maintain more than 700 ornamental plants and 150 trees; promote waste segregation and organic farming; and create environmental awareness. The movement traces its roots to Jidheesh Panunda, who initially repaired potholes, installed mirrors at accident-prone bends, and cleaned public spaces on his own.
His efforts gradually attracted like-minded residents, eventually leading to the formation of a registered organisation under the Societies Registration Act. “We never wait for government projects. If something has to change, the people themselves should begin it,” said U. Rajeevan, convener of the organisation. Apolitical character Rajeevan said the movement’s greatest strength is its apolitical character, with members with all political affiliations and from all walks of life working together. “There is no political colour here. People from every party and every section of society work together. Unity is the biggest strength of the movement,” he said. The organisation provided three-bin waste segregation system under the Haritha Bhavan campaign to more than 150 households, enabling families to separate waste at source before handing it over to the Haritha Karma Sena. The group also encourages home garden, organic vegetable cultivation, and beautification of public spaces with flowering plants. Last year, members cultivated over marigold on over an acre of land ahead of Onam.
Monthly awareness programmes on cybercrime, drug abuse, health issues, cancer prevention, and environmental conservation are organised with the support of experts. Children participating in the activities are given books and small prizes to encourage reading habit and social participation, Mr. Rajeevan said. Among the youngest volunteers is Nihara Manoj, a Class VI student of Mambaram UP School, who has been participating in the Sunday drives for nearly a year. She said the village has become noticeably cleaner as residents clean it every week. “People passing through now say Panunda is one of the cleanest places. We also grow vegetables and keep our surroundings clean. I hardly use mobilephone because I enjoy coming here every Sunday,” she said. Without government grants Unlike many social initiatives, Clean Green Panunda functions without government grants or major corporate sponsorship. Its expenses are met through public contributions, auctioning off of donated items such as Kadaknath black chickens, banana bunches and watermelons, and support from local residents and expatriates.
The BriefWire