Why Indian cities are dirty?

Indian Express, Sept 26 2017

Author – Nilima Sinha – is an author of mystery adventure and other fiction for children

SUB- QUESTIONS

What is the secret behind the mystery of the cleaner cities?

The secret behind clean public places is not the ‘cleaning’, but the ‘not dirtying habit’ that needs to be encouraged in our citizens. This should be the focus of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Why are Indian cities dirty?

  1. Discipline is not instilled in the minds of citizens from an early age, that helps maintain cleanliness in a country
  2. “Do not litter” signage present in the public places has not become a clarion call for the leaders
  3. Litter is thrown everywhere and anywhere, in drains, along roads in public dustbins.
  4. India is one of the top 5 countries that practice open defecation among the urban dwellers
  5. There is sanitation stress as 381 Indians live in rapidly expanding urban areas out of which 37% live without improved sanitation.

What is the international experience on keeping cities clean?

  1. Learning from international experience from the countries like Japan, China, USA, etc the offenders have to be punished.
  2. Criminals of jails can be put to work, like in Canada where people are sentenced to community service.

What are the suggestions on enhancing cleanliness in cities?

There should be strict rules on using dustbins, which must be installed everywhere and regularly emptied by municipal authorities, with a proper system in place for doing so. The public spaces around the homes should be kept litter free and which will be automatically lead to cleaner cities and healthier and happier citizens.

MAIN QUESTION

Q. Why Indian cities are dirty?

Ans

India ranks 155th out of 178 countries in cleanliness, despite launching ambitious campaigns like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which has no precedence anywhere else in the world. Even after wide publicity in social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc the state of affairs of cleanliness of Indian cities remain dismal.

The reasons why Indian cities are dirty are as follows:

  1. Discipline is not instilled in the minds of citizens from an early age, that helps maintain cleanliness in a country
  2. “Do not litter” signage present in the public places has not become a clarion call for the leaders
  3. Litter is thrown everywhere and anywhere, in drains, along roads in public dustbins.
  4. India is one of the top 5 countries that practice open defecation among the urban dwellers
  5. There is sanitation stress as 381 Indians live in rapidly expanding urban areas out of which 37% live without improved sanitation.

The secret behind clean public places is not the ‘cleaning’, but the ‘not dirtying habit’ that needs to be encouraged in our citizens. This should be the focus of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Learning from international experience from the countries like Japan, China, USA, etc the offenders have to be punished. Criminals of jails can be put to work, like in Canada where people are sentenced to community service.

There should be strict rules on using dustbins, which must be installed everywhere and regularly emptied by municipal authorities, with a proper system in place for doing so.The public spaces around the homes should be kept litter free and which will be automatically lead to cleaner cities and healthier and happier citizens.

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