When the quote unquote Prime Minister unveiled his ambitious Swachh Bharat initiative, I was filled with a sense of respect and gratitude for our notorious leader; albeit a major ask of the majority of our Indian brothers and sisters, given the right insight and a few years, I firmly believe that the most intelligent and hardworking people on this planet can turn this dream into a reality.
As is commonplace with most third world nations around the world, littering and reckless disposal of garbage, living among abject squalor is an accepted part of day to day life; one has only to venture a few hundred miles across the border to view how the quote unquote people of Mumbai live, with a constant heady cocktail of sewage, carbon dioxide and rotting garbage wafting through the dusty, smog choked metropolis that unplanned industry has given rise to. Mountains of plastic bags and paper lining the railway tracks, consistently added to by a population that I sadly suspect is the missing link in human evolution.
The first step to a spotless India would have to begin in our blessed state; a drive through enchanting Raia reveals the Goa of yore; resplendent in greenery and purity, inhabited by kind souls who ferociously protect their environment with foresight and dedication. The powers – that – be would have Goa go the way of concretized Mumbai, with flyovers and high rises being the rule rather than the exception, infesting and paving over rich, life sustaining soil to provide sanctuaries for godless raves, depraved casinos, unnecessary airports and now unthinkably, platforms for deadly Howitzer guns like the ones brought in for the recent defense expo. As guardians of this sacred land, although seemingly outnumbered by a brood of venomous, single-minded profiteers, our only game plan is to emulate the values of the hardy people of Raia and ensure that we do not end up like Mumbai, or heaven forbid, the city with the most toxic air quality in the world, New Delhi.
Laws are already in place to reduce and do away with the wide spread use of plastic bags but are not enforced which leads to a dearth of waste issues; in a gem of a state like ours, surely stricter adherence to protecting her natural beauty should be paramount, something alluding to the severity that protecting endangered tigers entails perhaps? Reusable jute bags and the like should and must be distributed by the authorities free of cost to dissuade plastic bags from being dispensed; with a little ingenuity and creativity, local artists could stamp them with Goan mojo, making them hard to throw away even after they are empty, which is the norm that prevails among tourists and sadly, locals alike. Empowering police officers to fine litterers, compulsorily making travel and tour operators responsible for informing tourists that littering is a punishable offense and posting multiple warnings on beaches and at other frequented spots of the consequences should be aggressively practiced.
scling, composting, carrying your own shopping bag and refusing to throw away even the stickiest, wettest trash until you’ve found a responsible place for it goes a long way.
Lastly, children and adults alike should remember and vow as one: VANDE MATARAM * (I give glory to you, Mother)
