The national capital of India, famous for food, architecture and politics, is also famous for not being clean. Jasvinder Singh has been living in Delhi since 1987. He loves Delhi but the biggest thing that concerns him is the people living in Delhi do not respect this city. Jasvinder is a taxi driver at the Park Hotel and everyday he encounters people spitting or urinating on road.
Claire was born in Delhi. This is her first visit to the city as an adult after her parents moved to the U.S. Claire says Delhi is a beautiful city but not a very clean one. Seeing piles of garbage flooding the roads is not a very pleasant site. Spitting on road might raise eyebrows, elsewhere, but not in Delhi. Whether educated or illiterate spitting paan is a common trend among residents of Delhi and almost every pavement can be seen with paan stains everywhere in Delhi.
We can see people urinating by the side of walls and bus-stands every now and then. It is also very inconvenient for the girls and women who confront these sightings every day.
People clean their houses but make their city dirty by throwing piles of garbage on roadside. Seeing stray dogs and cows chomping on these piles is an assault on the senses. We claim to be cleanest but when it comes to cleanliness of public places why do we forget our civic senses?
Government started many drives like ‘Clean Delhi, Green Delhi’. But all the efforts are going in vain without full support and cooperation of public. During preparation times of the Common Wealth Games, the government of Delhi strictly warned the residents not to spit in public or urinate for the sake of the games but all the good manners ‘if there were any’ went along with athletes. Mahatma Gandhi said ‘Cleanliness is Godliness’. He not only meant physical cleanliness but also the cleanliness of the surroundings where you live. Delhi is our home and it’s our duty to keep it clean. All of us have to do just our own bit.
Image courtesy:Â http://dwarkainformation.blogspot.in/2010/09/second-side-of-coin-delhi-meri-shaan.html