News of Dengue epidemic in Delhi reminds me of an incident of last year. One year ago on 15th of August little Pragyan (6 years old) was with us. She had come from U S A along with her family. Her mother is my sister-in-law. We visited many places of Kolkata along with her. On 15th of August we went to Garia Hat Junction. While her mother was busy shopping with my wife, I was taking care of Pragyan. In the hot and humid weather of Kolkata Pragyan became restless and so leaving her mother for shopping, I took Pragyan to my sister's house which was nearby. After resting for sometime in a room which was A.C. cooled, she became her usual self and started singing & dancing. After sometime, I listened her singing while swaying- "Tomorrow I'll go to my favourite country,I''ll go to U S." I asked her if U S was her favourite country. She confirmed it in affirmative. I again asked her- " Is India not your favourite country". "Yes,I like India but India is not my favourite country." "Why?", I again asked. "Because there is so much filth and squalor here", she replied. After sometime she asked-" Why is no fine imposed here when people through garbage on the road ?" I had no answer,so I kept mum. She said again-" In U S, if you litter on the road you have to pay 200 Dollars" . I was looking for an answer to save honour of my country. That morning I had listened Prime Minister's speech from the ramparts of Red Fort wherein he had announced that" Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" will be started to make India neat & clean. So I took a refuge under P M`s speech. I told Pragyan , that day our P M had made announccement that "A swachchh Bharat Abhiyan" would be started. I assured her when she would come back next time to our country,she would find a neat and clean India.
But after one year when I look at the situation around me, I feel still a lot has to done. After Govt. announcement of " Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan", there is some improvement but not overall improvement. The basic reason is, after the P M started the 'Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan' last year on Gandhi Jayanti, Govt. officials used it for photo-ops with brooms and after an initial enthusiasm of a few days, the movement has been forgotten and now it seems that the programme has even lost steam . For its sucess 'Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan' has to be a permanent feature and not 'once a year rhetoric'.
Day before Yesterday, I was at Syaldah station. It had rained for nearly fifteen minutes and the surroundings around Syaldah could be seen in pathetic condition. Being one of the main Railway Stations of a prominent Metropolis we should be able to showcase it for others, but alas! It is not so.
Had we taken P M's 'Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan' to our heart and ensured a neat and clean Delhi with no scope for water logging ,filth and squalor ; we won' t have had to listen such news that there were no beds available for Dengue patients in the hospital and twenty lives have been lost to Dengue. A fairly good number are of young children! It is heart wrenching to see people crying for their young ones who have been lost to Dengue and could have been saved if citizens of country as well as civic authorities and administration been vigilant to maintain cleanliness.
To be on par with other leading nations of the world, it is necessary that we inculcate habit of cleanliness in every citizen of our country, ensure that our public places are neat and clean, no one litters or throws garbage on the road or unspecified places and there is a proper disposal system for the solid as well as liquid waste. Cleanliness drive has not to be an annual ritual or once a year affair . It has to be part of our daily routine and become a habit with us.We have to be ever vigilant to ensure neat and clean surroundings.
While Municipalities and Govt. officials have to play an important role in" Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan" , it must be kept in mind and also ensured that every Indian citizen plays an equally important role. To fulfill the purpose, inspiration and punishment both have to be utilised as tools. Govt. should not hesitate to take help of NGOs and all kind of other institutions. Only then " The Swachchha Bharat Abhiyan " could truly be successfull. Let us not wait for Gandhi Jayanti.
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