Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad

Most Indian government schools lack electricity and running water. The meeting pictures on the left is exactly on those issues: electricity and water. Indian government schools also usually lack any budget for cleaning. In one case, a local school near us was given 80 rs a week for a cleaner. The cleaner told the heamistress would only clean one bathroom for that kind of money, so the school shut and locked the remaining bathrooms. The Rainbow School is a bit luckier, the new building will be an excellent facility. However, electricity and the operating parameter of very little budget for cleaning remains. What the government can give is so little, private funds are required to really get the job done. (http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1085677&CatID=19 for more information on utilities and government schools)

Municipal Garbage Pick-Up

This quarter, our regular staff found new help from the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH). MCH is responsible for garbage pick up, water, utilities, and distribution of small social security pensions (200 rs month) for the disabled and widows. Now, thanks to contacts through the District Collectors’ office to the MCH Commissioner of our area (Dharma Reddy, pictured right, in the pink shirt), we have garbage pick up every day! AND THEY COME AND CLEAN THE SCHOOL! Well, they sweep it out and take out the garbage. They have a book that Usha Madam keeps in her office, they sign in and out to register their work with her. She submits this to the MCH office in Serlinghampally. This is a rare occurance where accountability is part of a goverment service.

What is even more important is that our headmistress can call and report when MCH pick-up does not occur. We tried it once, and it worked! Now, instead of the usual dump and burn garbage disposal, the school’s garbage goes through a collection, sorting, even some recycling, and proper disposal.

Because of this contact with the school, the ENTIRE SLUM is also now served by MCH garbage pick-up. The MCH lady comes around, wheeling her tricycle, to collect the garbage. She blow a whistle then shouts “MCH.” People come running with their bits and scraps for collection. The garbage is dumped into the tricycle bin, and then the MCH lady moves on. Our MCH lady is here on the right, closest to the camera, and she refused to smile. It is a cultural norm here that the older generation does NOT want to smile for the camera.

There is just one last thing. Our big garbage bin (shiny new ones are picture here) never actually gets emptied. Or, if it does, the bin is immediately full again. That is quite possible. In any case, this is a very substantial win for the entire community. Many, many thanks go to Usha Rani for arranging ALL these MCH facilities this.