New Delhi, Feb 18 (PTI) Seeking to help the needy and improve its ranking in the Swachh survey, the South Corporation on Thursday opened a 'shoe bank', and claimed it was the first such initiative in Delhi.

The shoe bank was inaugurated in the SDMC' West Zone's Subhash Nagar area, the civic body said.

"The shoe bank along with a toy bank and 'Plastic Lao-Khad Le Jao' amenities, has been opened at a site that was earlier a 'dhalao'," the SDMC said in a statement, adding that it was "Delhi's first shoe bank".

The SDMC has urged residents to donate old or new toys, shoes for children and the elderly, school bags for the needy.

"Generally, residents throw old toys, school bags and shoes in the garbage, so instead we are asking them to donate to the bank, which will then be used to give it to the needy people," an SDMC official said.

The main objectives behind this initiative is multi-fold, whereas on one hand, citizens can contribute old, discarded toys or shoes for a worthy cause as they can be reused by needy people, but idea also is to encourage 'Swachh' practices by reducing and reusing. This initiative will help the needy schoolchildren and other persons who remain barefoot during summers and winters, the SDMC said in a statement.

Earlier, the SDMC had taken a similar initiative, as per which several toy bans are being opened in south Delhi.

During the ongoing Swachh Survekshan 2021, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation is rigorously promoting the Rs 3 (reduce, reuse, recycle) by taking various environment-friendly initiatives like 'Neki Ki Diwar', 'Garbage Cafe', 'Geela Kuda Lao-Khad Ley Jao', 'Plastic Lao Plant Le Jao', single-use plastic-free zones, toy banks, compositing from wet segregated waste, it said.

The SDMC said this initiative will be expanded to other locations and will help achieve high ranking in Swachh Survekshan 2021.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)