Ranchi: If cleanliness were a place, it would be called Bharamtoli.

The suburban cluster of tribal and OBC inhabitants in Boreya, 12km from here, embodies hygiene and sanitation like no other place in and around the capital city. In Bharamtoli, no one defecates in the open, trees are protected with lives and saplings are planted every year.

Hemmed in by five hillocks, better known as Bahrong Pahad, Bharamtoli is metaphorically far away from the madding crowd even if it is geographically located between congested Kanke and Bariatu. Love for the ecosystem among residents is fairly new, but robustly growing.

Himanshu Mandal, a member of Kendriya Sarna Samiti (Bharamtoli), admitted that the situation was once so bad that people gasped for fresh air. "People used the foothills as an open lavatory. Trees were chopped off at random for firewood. There was no balance between man and nature. But, all that has changed today," Mandal said.

And, how?

"Six months ago, some responsible residents launched an awareness campaign against open defecation. A 30-member youth squad was also formed to flush out offenders every morning, afternoon and evening. Currently, we hold meetings with everyone twice a month to ensure total hygiene and sanitation," said Mandal.

The cluster of 800 households has launched a host of beautification measures, including wall painting. "Fines are slapped on people who sully the place," Pramod Gupta, another conscientious resident of Bharamtoli who runs an eatery near RIMS in Bariatu.

Falling under Ward 4 of Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC), at least 160 households did not have private toilets until recently. "Once we knew the root cause of open defecation, we approached RMC for funds. Now, 100 households have private toilets," said Bhola Shah, another local resident.

Councillor Sudha Devi said they were hopeful the remaining 60 homes would be covered soon. "My ward covers a huge municipal area, but there are only four safai workers. In terms of civic maintenance, Bharamtoli is always neglected. But, people of Bharamtoli have embraced their duties and look at the difference they have made," she added.

Bheem Toppo, an informal green committee member, said felling of trees was strictly prohibited in the area. "During Rath Mela, we plant saplings at the foothills. So far, 300 have been planted. Last month, some mischievous kids burnt a patch of grass. We immediately summoned their parents and they gave a written undertaking that such acts would not be repeated," Toppo said.

Bharamtoli is also religiously inclined. Budha Mahadev is a revered temple dedicated to Shiva and believers flock there for rituals. A stream flows beside it, but the source of the water - said to be as pure as Gangajal - is still a mystery.

"The legend goes that the Lord (Shiva) was carrying five hillocks to Jagannathpur in baskets tied to a bamboo pole. On the way, the rope snapped and hillocks stayed as Bahrong Pahad in Bharamtoli. Hence, we worship the hillocks as gifts of god. We cannot allow anyone to defile them," summed up Sohrai Munda, an elderly resident.