Page 2 of 2 Previous Mapping the Neighbourhood has initiated the creation of community/neighbourhood maps. Community maps are collective representations of geography and landscape. Community mapping allows people to think together graphically, instead of verbally. Several people from villages in Shitalakhet, Bhagtola, Denapani, Hawalbag and other have approached the students for the village maps. There are several villagers too (the number is more than the former category) who are not sure how they can use the maps but wants to frame them in their homes. Kundan, Asha and the some others in Denapani Intercollege points out that although everyone they have met have shown interest in the maps especially when the students showed them each of their houses, they are still very apprehensive whether the maps can really be of any practical use. 
For the students the mapping process has been a real eye-opener. It started a year ago but now they realise they have no parks, not adequate open space, inadequate parking and garbage on the streets. Dhananjay and his brother Yogesh (standard nine and seven) of Kormanchal Academy along with their classmates have mapped the Almora town. After several more visits he has seen rays of hope. He has shown his maps (town map generated as a part of the project) in the municipality. He has shown them in the map the springs that have dried out and those that needed care. Historically springs have been the main source of water for Almora, but in the last 50 years with over construction and misuse, over 50% of the existing springs has dried out reducing their number from 250 to less than 100. The girls from Government girls Intercollege are taking the "Clean Almora" campaign quite seriously. Equipped with the town map, the girls have identified areas that need waste management. Although the Municipality and other local development bodies are still slow in their response, they have started rethinking on maps; a prominent example is the Jal Sansthan (the water supply department). The jal sansthan is thinking on merging all their water zone site plans on one singe map of the town. They are aware of the process being time consuming but are positive that a wholistic map would be more effective for future planning for water as well as for the new sewerage development scheme that is being implemented. summing up Maps have been more empowering for the students in rural schools. Kailash, Suraj Kishore who have been very apprehensive in the beginning now draw a map to explain a route to each other. They have displayed their maps in their homes, shown the maps to their elders, given maps to the panchayat, are trying to convince the panchayat to use the maps and even suggest modifications if required. Their enthusiasm has been almost infective. Some of the schools are reviewing the map section in their school curriculum syllabus. They are making efforts to enthusiase the students to take up mapping and map reading as a hobby. Schools have also planned to display village and block maps in their classrooms and offices. They are even going beyond school level political maps in the Atlas and trying to comprehend the more complicated SOI topographical maps! A change of attitude is needed for maps to become a part and parcel of everyday life. In Almora this is happening, beginning with the children, with the schools but there are still …miles to go. Mapping the neighbourhood has been able to infuse a map culture among schools students who in turn have been instrumental in enthusiasing the community to use maps. For the community, a map culture can evolve only when the community can relate to these maps, can see their past, present and envision their future in these maps. Focus has to be not only on generation of maps "for" the community but also "of" the community and there can be nothing better if the maps are "by" the community. A sense of ownership for maps can logically lead to its effective utilization. Again maps need to be made more accessible to the community. The school children are making a headway in this direction, but infusing a map culture among the development organizations will take time. The process has just crossed the embryonic stage and children as torchbearers are defying formal practice and ushering a new era in this small sleepy town of Almora. Co-author Himanshu Kalra Email: himanshu@csdms.org Research Officer, CSDMS Dipanjan Banerjee Email: dipanjan@csdms.org Senior Research Officer, CSDMS
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