In an act of public service, 22 students of Sacred Heart (SH) College, Thevara, took it upon themselves to clean the dirty, defaced and weed-covered signboards installed along the Shanti Nagar-Kacheripady stretch. It took us two days to complete the job, said Abin Ambili, student development officer of the college. Signboards help wayfarers identify destinations and locations, he said.

However, the signboards here are obliterated by dust, grime and posters of various organisations, he added. There were around 130 posters. We used water, soap and brushes to wipe off the dirt, said Abin. People realise the worth of signboards only when they are forced to go around asking passersby directions to a place, he said.

According to Abin, this is just the beginning. The students are planning to clean the boards in Panampilly Nagar in the coming days, he added. Corporation authorities lauded the students' efforts. The students have mooted some suggestions to the corporation regarding the maintenance and installation of signages and signboards. There are many areas without boards. For example, there is no board near the college or the school informing commuters of the same, he said.