South Delhi slums transformed into colorful spaces with street art
What's the story
Bland walls and drab surroundings of many slums in south Delhi have now been transformed into vibrant and colorful spaces, thanks to a street art project that seeks to meaningfully engage people with the residents of such colonies.
The project is part of a larger initiative of improving the quality of life and sanitation condition in slum clusters, officials said.
Here are more details.
Street Art
Street art is a form of expression: DSA Founder
"Street art is another form of expression...it's very different from the gallery or canvas art," said Yogesh Saini, Delhi Street Art (DSA) Founder.
"It is bound to be destroyed over time, due to heat, rain, dirt or pollution. But till the time the art is preserved and people get involved with it, it surely brings some change in life/attitude of people," he added.
Slum areas
DSA has done street art on underprivileged schools, night shelters
Delhi Street Art has done street artwork at several locations, including Lodhi Road area, Shankar Market, various flyovers, buildings of underprivileged schools, night-shelters and toilet complexes.
"Seven camps have been taken up by us for the cleanliness drive. Cleanliness shouldn't be a one-time activity, it should be sustainable," said an official of a state-run oil major company, which partnered with DSA for cleanliness drive.
Cleanliness awareness
Another NGO raised awareness about cleanliness among locals
Project Manager of Safe Approach NGO, Santosh Jha, said, "We have taken up the activity of cleaning and aesthetic beautification of Kholi camp and Seva camp."
"The locals are also expected to maintain the cleanliness of the place to avoid health hazard or any problems caused by the unhygienic conditions. We raised awareness among the locals through street plays," he said.