The scarcity of conservancy employees and trash collection equipment in Darbhanga Municipal Corporation encouraged Madhubala Sinha to think out of the box and implement an idea that has scripted runaway success.

On Republic Day this year, Sinha, the councillor of ward number 21, engaged 40 women, all members of self-help groups, to undertake sanitation work in the ward and to inculcate some civic sense in residents to keep it clean.

The move has begun showing positive results in two months since the idea was implemented.

"Apart from collecting garbage from each household, the team members also motivate residents to ensure that they dump the garbage at designated spots only. This has worked wonders and one can see the difference," said ward councillor Sinha.

The members of self-help groups, who play a voluntary services, collect anything between Rs 30 and Rs 100 from each household and business establishment.

Residents are more than happy availing their services.

Sinha said half of the money collected from residents is distributed as an incentive among the employees who sweep the ward regularly, while the remaining portion is deposited in the account of the self-help groups so that their members could use it when needed.

Ward resident Mohammad Umar said: "We are willingly paying the money that helps us to keep the area neat and clean. With donations from residents, dustbins have been placed here and residents have been requested to dump garbage in dustbins only. It has worked."

Ruhi Khatoon, a self-help group member, said: "It has been a satisfying experience. Moreover, we also make a little money from it though we offer voluntary services for the good of the society."