No public meeting organiser ever takes in to consideration waste management. Whether it is an exhibition or a hunger strike, it is rare to see dustbins.
Food stalls all around Freedom Park. Not a bin in site. Pic: Meera K.
Hawkers and vendors naturally gravitate to any large group, selling icecreams, tea-coffee, groundnuts, roasted corn and more. They too never provide a bin to collect the waste. The visitors eat and throw trash in corners, sometimes just anywhere.
Litter at Freedom Park. Pic: Meera K.
At Freedom Park last week, visitors enthusiastically stuck stickers of I am Anna and wore Nehru topis. After a while you could see them on the ground.
It was heartening to read the IAC volunteers and others later helped leaned the lawns. A volunteer, Anirudh Prakash was quoted as saying,"It is an Indian thing to litter. But if we can’t ensure that do the cleaning, then what is the point of fighting against corruption." Well said.
While we talk about the second freedom struggle, it would be good to think about freedom from filth public places.
Ugly Indian’s Tere Bins at Freedom Park. Pic Courtesy: Ugly Indian Facebook page.
Meanwhile, Ugly Indian has installed Tere Bins at the protest venue. Hope this makes a difference. But shouldn’t the Freedom Park officials provide dustbins anyways for visitors?
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