Children in an Anganwadi in Anakapalli district in Andhra Pradesh are having the time of their lives on a playground unlike any other. The playgrounds are built mainly with recycled car and motorcycle tyres
This is thanks to the vision of a 29-year-old IAS officer Dhatri Reddy, who is the Assistant Collector (UT) of Anakapalli district. When she was posted here in 2022, she noticed that none of the 58 centres around the Anganwadis of the district had playgrounds.
She found that with limited government funds, the cost of setting up a playground was very high. As she brainstormed about building low-cost playgrounds, she hit upon the idea of upcycling used tyres and PVC pipes that were discarded at the rural water supply department.
With that, Project Play was born.
Reporting: Nivedita Ganguly
Production: Reenu Cyriac
Video: V. Raju
Photos: Special Arrangement