People must take ownership of their environment for lasting change
The newly elected MLA of Gulmarg constituency, Farooq Ahmed Shah, has initiated a cleanliness drive that started on 21st October, with the aim of combating filth, garbage, dirt, and pollution, which have deteriorated our environment everywhere.
Mr Shah mentioned in an interview that during his election campaign, he witnessed many places that have become hotspots of dirt and garbage. He emphasized that the need of the hour is to clean these areas on a war-footing basis. Different departments are participating in this drive to prioritise cleanliness across the entire area.
However, we are well aware that this is not the first initiative taken with this aim in mind. We have seen many such initiatives launched from time to time with the goal of making our environment more liveable. Although these initiatives were undertaken in letter and spirit by various departments at different times, the results were not as expected, mainly due to the lack of or minimal involvement of local residents. For any such initiative to be truly fruitful, it is imperative that the local population take an active part.
We are witnessing piles of garbage and filth in and around our localities. Our lives have become miserable due to the presence of filth, which is increasing day by day as a result of our own activities. Yet, most of us remain passive observers, behaving like mute spectators. We have also seen that dogs, leopards, and other wild animals are attracted to these piles of garbage, which has led to several fatal incidents.
We must learn to take ownership of our local environment. We need to understand that this environment is ours, and if it is polluted or deteriorated due to our activities, or those of our relatives and neighbours, we must take responsibility ourselves to clean it. It is absurd to wait for government authorities or employees to clean our environment for us. We have defiled it to such an extent that it would be impossible for any department alone to rectify the situation.
If we truly want to live better lives in a cleaner environment, we must unite for the cause of cleanliness in our localities. All citizens must come forward and participate in cleanliness drives. Only then can we expect to see better results on the ground.
The first and foremost step is to change our mindset about cleanliness. Those who take the initiative for cleanliness should not be mocked by others. Someone who gathers garbage for proper disposal is better than one who spreads filth everywhere. We must understand that for our betterment and future, it is crucial that we prioritise cleanliness around us.
Cleanliness should not be seen as a burden, especially by those who claim to follow a faith that places great importance on it—so much so that it is considered a fundamental aspect of faith, even half of faith in some traditions. We consider ourselves more educated and civilised than our older generations, but the piles of garbage in our neighbourhoods suggest otherwise.
We may be constructing better houses, but our environment is worse, and the irony is that we are the main culprits for its deterioration.
We must take this matter more seriously if we want a better future for ourselves and our younger generations. My suggestion is that every village should establish committees on a voluntary basis to conduct regular cleanliness drives. First, we should focus on identifying the filth and garbage hotspots in our villages and clean them voluntarily, without waiting for government departments to act. We need to motivate and mobilise as many people as possible to participate in cleanliness drives and fight this menace unitedly, before it becomes an unmanageable problem.
If we work together in a united and organised manner, we can certainly bring about the desired change and secure a better future.
By Hilal Bukhari