Role of Citizen and Community in Swachh Bharat Mission
The Swachh Bharat mission was initiated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a view to create Clean India. Launched on October 2nd this year, Swachh Bharat mission advices every Indian citizen to take up responsibility in keeping the country clean. The PM stated that a clean India would be the best tribute to give the Father of the Nation on his 150th birth anniversary and that everyone should have their part in doing away with litter and waste by the year 2019.
He asked everyone to devote a hundred hours every year, two hours a week, towards cleanliness. With regards to his own words, the PM proceeded with the mission by taking a broom and cleaning a part of the city by himself. He also nominated public figures and personalities from various walks of life to carry forward this mantle. This act of engaging in cleaning up homes, work places, villages and cities collectively would bring in a drastic reduction in littering of waste and pollution.
CCTV for Monitoring Cleanliness
The South Central Railway (SCR) will be utilising their CCTVs for not only security purposes but also to overseer cleanliness activities. This has come in the wake of the PM’s request for a Clean India movement.
According to the SCR General Manager P K Srivastava, the CCTV surveillance can be used as a tool to check whether the house-keeping staff are doing their duty and keeping the premises clean. “It can be used to identify people littering the Railway premises and impose penalties on them,” he said.
He added that the potential of CCTVs should be utilized to the full extent for effective monitoring, and for this purpose, over 40 CCTV cameras have been installed at 32 major stations of SCR. The Swachh Bharat Mission will be taken up by the railway employees to keep the railway premises neat and clean.
They are also advising the public through awareness campaigns and seeking their cooperation in maintaining the cleanliness across the stations.
Role of Citizen and Community
The PM’s advice and initiative should not be taken up with deaf ears but should be accepted with a change in the collective mentality of the public as well as the government officials at all levels. Proper sanitation and systems should be in place to dispose waste and maintain cleanliness.
Anti-litter campaigns should be held to create awareness among the general public and motivate them to take up the broom. Stringent enforcement of the law is also a necessity to maintain this attitude and sanitation.
Funds should be collected and allocated to provide proper sewage systems, public toilets and garbage disposals across the country. Urban areas are the most severely affected from improper wastage disposals, so a collective education to citizens can ensure that their cities are kept clean.
The Swachh Bharat Mission is a huge movement that if taken forward can bring about a massive change in both the country’s outlook as well the citizen’s attitude. Reduction in waste, minimised littering and pollution will pave way for a healthier and productive state and mind.
- Mindsets need to change: If Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister can do, why can’t we maintain cleanliness.
- Anti-litter campaigns: Create awareness in your apartment community and neighborhood and motivate them to take up the broom.
- Share pictures: You can share pictures of unclean spots in your neighborhood and the same spot after your cleanliness drive.
- Stop complaining & start participating: This should be the mantra for the success of the Swachh Bharat mission.
