Bengaluru: Women at Whitfield can now roam fearlessly as preparations are on to install CCTV cameras across the locality for their safety, due to initiatives taken up by Whitefield Rising- a citizen’s movement and a few IT companies under the Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) who are willing to join hands in solving local issues. The group has worked with nearly 17 companies and has raised around Rs 4.4 crore through the CSR to fix pavements, street lights, parks and lakes.
It’s just 6 months since Whitefield Rising, had started approaching corporate companies for a helping hand to solve the civic issues bogging Whitefield.
Viji Vennelakanti, points out, “We used to raise a limited amount of money earlier as we used to conduct drives by our volunteers only. But since we have started approaching companies, we are able to do more solid work. With plenty of IT companies situated in the locality, we approached them for solving local issues that are important and need to be addressed. They have the money but do not know how to go about it and this is where we help them in executing the work.”
“We ask them to look around and invest locally. For example, either to adopt a school or to look at a street that needs a spot-fix, fix a street light or even adopt a lake in the neighbourhood and rejuvenate it.”
She further adds, “Public toilets are pretty much absent in our area so we are asking them to invest in e-toilets. In fact, there is a company that has adopted a park near Inner Circle, Whitefield.”
“They are upgrading the park and putting up rain water harvesting. Then another company has taken up the work of installing a STP at Kundanahalli Lake.”
Voicing the same opinion, Arbind Keerthi says, “The response has been really good. You have to make a reasonable case with them that this investment will go into local causes, be it traffic or environment improvement. It takes a little bit of time for them to understand how it works. They have to invest 2 percent on CSR. Since they do not have any idea where to invest it and how to go about it, that amount goes to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund in Delhi. Hence, it makes sense for them to invest in local issues and improve their neighbourhood.”
