PM Modi’s pet project which aims at creating a civic sense
among the people can be called a groundbreaking movement. Something that is
being turned into an all people phenomenon. It is really a commendable task
that our prime minister is doing, to educate people about cleanliness. But what
has been the impact of this movement? Has there been any apparent change beyond
MLAs and MPs picking up broomsticks as a part of their propaganda? Evidently
not. Railway stations are still at their
dirtiest, people still piss on roadsides and the inherent spitters still do not
feel ashamed of their actions. Mr. Modi’s plan of swach bharat is undoubtedly a
great idea to unite people to create awareness. But it is a half hearted
measure. Where is the infrastructure? To get a clean city, you basically need
proper waste management systems. Sewage treatment plants for instance are just
stepping stones to a greener and environment friendly development. Separating
biodegradable and non biodegradable wastes and setting up recycling plants are
just the textbook measures which focus on proper waste disposal and cleaner
environment. If these systems are established then people will automatically
use them. Installing a dustbin at a public place won’t help unless you don’t
know what to do with the waste inside that dustbin. What we are doing now is
just dumping the waste of that smaller dustbin into a larger dustbin . In every
city, you can find acres of barren land being used as city dumpyards, where
there is no management of waste whatsoever. Heaps of waste keep on piling until
that land is unable to withstand anymore. And then what is done? We shift the
dumpyard to a new place. Picking the broom to clear the waste ( by people) is a novel idea. But we first need
infrastructures for waste management. Otherwise, what is the use of such drive
if you make one place very beautiful and other very dirty? As far as people are
concerned, the best they can do is not spit, pee in public and use public
dustbins. Apart from this, people in general aren’t really equipped to do
anything else. About 5 years back, I became a part of a cleanliness drive at my
school which mainly aimed at separating biodegradable and non biodegradable
waste. We started it at home and I was really enjoying the idea of having two
separate dustbins for plastic waste and organic waste when suddenly I realised
that both of these dustbins were emptied in the same MCD waste collecting
truck. What’s then the use of separating the waste if it has to go to the same
dumpyard? Like most homes, we didn’t have a lawn outside our home to build any
compost pits. And recycling process has to be done by civic bodies. So, the
point I am trying to make here is, that even if citizens are made aware, you
really can’t expect positivie results unless the infrastructure is developed.
If there is a process, an infrastructure, people will use it. Like the MCD
trucks. People use it because it is there. And then I don’t think people will
really be needed to make aware of importance of cleanliness in surroundings. They
will themselves resort to proper waste management if they have proper
facilities.
Unless the BJP is trying to blame people for keeping cities
unclean, that we don’t sweep the streets, I think they should expedite the
development of waste treatment plants in the cities and undertake more such
waste management projects. Otherwise, we will hear the same old story – You failed
because you didn’t clean up !
