Denizens lukewarm to wall of kindness

Hyderabad: It’s been a year-and-a-half after the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) launched the ‘Wall of Kindness’ with much fanfare. It is launched to enable people to donate clothes, shoes, books, blankets and anything useful. But the initiative has now gone kaput. For instance, the wall of kindness at Mehdipatnam has turned into almost a dump yard as urchins keep frequenting it and beggars take refuge during nights. Meghna Mathur, a social rights activist, asks, “What does this imply? Are Hyderabadis not kind hearted? If one were to go by the state of the wall of kindness across the city, one can infer that the citizens do not care.”

GHMC officials say that people did respond well in the initial months, but over a period the contributions declined. The Wall of Kindness adjacent to St Ann’s School in Secunderabad was once full of utility items; but, it now wears a forlorn look. Melinda, a resident of East Marredpally, says, “It is strange how the idea just fizzled out. It calls for a serious study. Why have people stopped sharing? It could be laziness.”

When the zonal commissioners of different zones were approached, they said that these centres of donations would be revamped and given a fresh paint again. A top official on condition of anonymity said, “People are kind and do contribute. We would again plan awareness campaigns and revive the project.”