This piece of writing is dedicated to all those who merely keeps on blaming the government all the time for every single problem they face in their life. I being a newcomer in this island city – Mumbai, hence equally awfully is fascinated by the sight of the ceaseless sea. There was a time, when I literally used to look forward to free myself into the nature by going to the most visited beach in the city – Juhu Chowpatty every weekend, if not every day, until my last two visits; when all my fondness for the ocean dropped its anchor, having witnessed unhygienic filth, waste, trash and litter coming ashore along the waves more than that of water.
The same goes for one of Mumbai’s many Signature places – Marine Lines. When seen on screen, anybody would want to be there at that very time, but when seen in reality, it again is full of torn clothes and plastic filth stuck over tetrapod-shaped huge rocks surrounding the shores and not to forget the foul smell emanating along the breeze from this garbage.
Who is responsible for this menace? Well, for the anti-BJPs’ yet another opportunity to directly put the whole blame over Modiji. He up there in the 7RCR, New Delhi (Official Residence of Prime Minister of India), wouldn’t even be knowing as to who had Chana in a paper plate or had drank tea in a disposable glass and leisurely threw the same empty dishes and glasses in the beautifully paved walk-way, as if their such act were supposed to yield them an award.
It is we, the very citizens who must take blame on our shoulders for being utterly slothful that we can’t even dump the empty plastic glasses and paper dishes we drink and/or eat from, in the Trash Can just lying a couple of steps far. A couple of days back, when an effort was made by two exasperated residents of Versova in north-western Mumbai after having decided that they were done with waiting for authorities to do something about the polluted beach near their home, organised fellow citizens to clean it up. The United Nations Patron of the Ocean Lewis Pugh, who assisted in a clean-up initiative, said he has never seen so much of litter on a beach. Open defecation was a serious issue, he added.
Only if the concerned authorities goes in for an in-depth analysis and concludes to implement some stricter rules for the visitors, like imposing huge amount of fine for the ones littering around, and installing increased amount of Trash Cans at these most visited public places, then only there is a faint possibility of a great living visionary – Narendra Modi’s dream of Swacchh Bharat come true!
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
