Patna is the capital city of the second biggest state (population-wise) of India. For me, the name of the city invokes the feeling of home but that’s not the case for everyone. Most people in India still associate a negative image with Patna. Many preconceived notions many unfair stereotypes have helped create this image of Patna and honestly, the real picture didn’t really help the city’s case until last year.
What people call winds of change swiftly entered this city with ancient roots. And this wind gradually started altering the face of the city. It was one fine morning when I got out of my house and on the way to my college, I felt that there was something different about the streets. Then it came to my notice. The huge dump of garbage that used to be the first thing I saw on getting out of my house was gone. Instead, there were saplings of trees with their leaves quivering with the tender wind of change that I was talking about. Later I noticed that it’s not just my locality which got rid of the garbage dump but it’s the same with all the nooks and corners of the city. Then I found out who was responsible for this much-needed change – it was my city’s civic body, Patna Municipal Corporation.
The workers of PMC whose appearance used to be as rare as that of a blue moon were now active in full force. For a Patnaite this was something new and pleasing, but I still remained sceptical about whether or not this will continue in long term. I guess PMC was really inclined on changing my opinion about themselves. Thereon they organized community cleaning drives all around the city. Using social media platforms efficiently, they called out to citizens of the city to join hands in fighting and eradicating pollution. And the city of Patna responded well. What once was a distant dream was coming close to reality.
Patna’s civic body has taken great measures to ensure effective solid waste management. They’ve started door to door garbage collection service which is a great step towards fighting the menace of pollution. To implement this service on such a large scale, they’ve bought 1,000 new vehicles which is quite a significant change on an infrastructural level.
The most noticeable and beautiful thing was yet to come and when it did, it changed the way the city looked. The walls of the city which were ridden with posters, bills, paan stains, garbage etc. were turning into a canvas. Soon these walls were adorned by beautiful Mithila paintings. For those who might be unaware of Mithila paintings, this is an ancient art form of Bihar originated from the Mithila region of the state. These paintings are a major part of Bihar’s vibrant heritage that is largely ignored and forgotten by not only the world but also by a huge section of Biharis. PMC brought that art form on the walls all over the city turning the city into a giant art gallery. These wall paintings also came as an opportunity for the artists and art students of the state where they could showcase their skills and also contribute in making the city look beautiful.
I am not trying to paint only a rosy picture of my city. I know and I acknowledge that there is still a long way ahead of us before we could be satisfied with what we have achieved but there’s no denying that this is a spectacular start. There still are many issues that need to be addressed but all this positive change has made me hopeful that those issues will be solved. Like the issue of lack of public toilets is also a big one but recently I saw that PMC has started setting up modular toilets around the city. They are planning to install 1000 modular toilets all around the city. Another welcome change by the PMC is that they are now very active on social media. The general public is no more oblivious to what’s being done with taxpayer’s money. We can all see and do our bit in the change that is evolving in Patna.
