We, as citizens, move in our town and get disgusted when we see heaps of garbage piled up on the roadsides, overflowing nullahs, traffic jams and road blocks, trees cut haphazardly and so on. But how many of us stop for a minute and think of better solutions? A vigilant group of people in Ponda took a positive step to keep a check on their surroundings and see that everything is kept neat, clean and green. People of Ponda - better known as POP, is striving hard towards the betterment of human and animal life in and around Ponda since 2012.
“Our campaign will be completing four years on December 25 next month,” announces Dr Rajendra Dev, senior pediatrician and the president of People of Ponda (POP). They maintain that external control or forcible actions do not lead to any healthy development as it depends on each person to control his or her actions and behaviour. The issues and problems suffered by people can be best handled when they try to resolve them on their own. Handling and resolving various issues in Ponda in amicable manner and with support of the public as well as the civic body, the people’s organisation POP acts like an all-party pressure group involving eminent citizens in Ponda and even members of administrative authorities, educational institutions, business community and professionals - in short people from all walks of life. Celebrating its anniversary on Christmas day this year, POP is getting introspective. This 145-member association is proud to declare that most of its missions are accomplished and some on the way to be fulfilled. “We are looking forward to accept new challenges,” says Anil Painginkar, a businessman who is attorney at POP.
It all began four years ago when few like-minded citizens in Ponda came together to resolve major civic issues that haunted the 25,000 plus population of this temple town. “Someone needed to take the initiative to implement corrective measures, so we joined hands for a common cause,” states Dr Dev who has been heading the association since its inception. Dr Dev recounts POP’s joint accomplishments “ tackling the garbage menace, shortage of parking spaces, traffic jams, health and hygiene, cleanliness on roads, planting trees, maintenance of gardens, revival of natural springs etc. “Our association acts as a mediator between the people and the administration,” he shares, adding, “We try to solve the issues without having any tussle or confrontation and with full public support.”
POP’s strength is sizable. Grown to 145 registered members, around 30 of whom are very active, the members manage to raise funds for the common cause. “We have led some successful campaigns with the help of other NGOs too,” smiles Dr Dev, elaborating how POP is in the good books of other such organisations and how the group has managed to bring all under its umbrella and rise above petty party politics.
Can such an organisation act as a pressure group? “Yes, why not?” replies Pramod Sawant, joint secretary of POP. “I believe in constructive measures and accommodative solutions so that all can live happily together and share space on this planet,” shares Sawant. So, why did POP come into being in the first place when already so many NGOs are active and contribute in their own way? “Our purpose was to start a participatory democracy in Ponda wherein the citizens take an active interest and participate in government as spreading awareness and increasing the sense of belongingness is the key factor to development,” says Sawant.
By sensitising the elected representatives about the ground realities and requirements of the citizens these aims can be achieved. POP is a forum for all likeminded social organisations and NGOs to come and work together to realise mutual and common interests, to try and inculcate a civic sense among children by arranging educative programmes. “We want to help children to grow to be responsible citizens. For this we arrange programmes about health, culture and traditions. POP also supports the efforts of various government authorities and helps them to get better citizen participation in their activities so that we can safeguard the interest of individuals and other groups working for a public cause,” states Painginkar.
He mentions that POP offers cricket coaching for students. Assimilating people on a single platform is helpful as our ideas can be passed to them without getting filtered. “These small gestures bring all together to fight a common cause. We have no hidden agenda. We just want to give back to society,” states Painginkar
People from all walks of life, irrespective of political parties are members of POP. The message spreads by word of mouth. The members contribute according to their capacity and calibre - from time to resources and suggestions to funds. “We are open and anyone can be a member. Even taxi drivers are our members. We may individually have different affiliations or belong to any political party or social group, but when we gather on a single platform we are all one. There are no watertight compartments or barriers that divide us - be it ideology or class, creed or religion,” claims Dr Dev.
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Making a difference
• There were some blind spots in Ponda where people used to throw garbage. POP cleaned the spots on a daily basis, and gradually the spots began to remain clean and free of garbage.
• POP planted around 100 saplings in the sports complex and out of these more than 95 have survived and grown.
• Canara Bank, North Canara Bank and Union Bank lent financial support to a move for POP to manage to mark one km of parking area in Ponda. The lanes were marked for scooters and cars. Now more vehicles can be accommodated.
• There was no zebra crossing in front of Almeida High School and the place used to be crowded in the mornings and afternoons. POP painted the Zebra crossing and demonstrations by the POP volunteers was carried out for two weeks - for the purpose of education and awareness. The result - there is no road crossing issue now on that spot.
• POP painted some signages too at various spots. The group also cleaned the parking basement at the market on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti. The place was lying vacant for years. Now it’s being used for parking.
