1. Have an Interesting Snippet to Share : Click Here
    Dismiss Notice

Swachh Bharat - The Reality

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by maalti, Nov 26, 2016.

  1. maalti

    maalti Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    307
    Likes Received:
    491
    Trophy Points:
    130
    Gender:
    Female
    Recently I had to go to Delhi on an official visit. I was very excited as it was my second visit to Delhi. I had earlier visited our capital city some 37 years back. I went by Rajdhani Express. I always enjoy sitting by the window side and love watching the sights like rivers, forests, different people in Railway stations etc., instead of immersing myself in my mobile or laptop. The train was about to reach Agra. I was excited as Agra had the Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world. I was as usual sight seeing through the window and i was shocked by what I saw. It was almost 10,30 a,m. when the train reached Agra and there was bright sunlight everywhere though winter was setting in. So many youngsters wearing jeans and t shirts were sitting on the railway tracks and were using them as public toilets. The still more shocking thing I noticed was that some of them had high end mobiles with them and they were oblivious to the surroundings. Women were also seen on another side. Though toilets could not be constructed everywhere in the country, our Government could construct toilets in this part of the country which attracts tourists at national and international levels. I didn't see such sights when I visited Delhi during my teens. May be this practice was there at that time also but people were more conscious to the surroundings and did not openly defecate in public places.
    The reality of SWachh Bharat hit me hard. I left Delhi feeling sad with a heavy heart. Who will create awareness to these youngsters, who are our future citizens? :cry:
     
    Loading...

  2. aamrapali

    aamrapali Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    517
    Likes Received:
    980
    Trophy Points:
    188
    Gender:
    Female
    Nice post. Yes, I am shocked/surprised too when I see office-going men at rush hour peeing in the midst of major roads, highways with so much traffic and thousands of eyes able to see them. How come they don't see that as a private activity and feel shy or embarrassed?

    I think there are alternatives even if no public restrooms like restaurants. Here in the U.S., going to heart of downtown city is also like that - limited to no public restrooms. If you are walking in downtown in chilly weather, restrooms can be a problem. We usually hop into a McDonalds or Starbucks, buy some coffee and snacks and then also use the restroom. I am sure that is possible in India too.
     
  3. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    11,577
    Likes Received:
    12,425
    Trophy Points:
    615
    Gender:
    Male
    From teens to 2016, three to three and half decades gone by. During that time the population in urban cities increased. Rural population too. To serve the population in parka buildings, from village poor migrated to cities. Being poor and at the same time to be at closer proximity to their workplace they occupied public places including that of railways. They had no separate place for natures call and so they chose open uncared for places for defecation.
    Railway police could not manage the work of protecting the railway lands and tracks from trespassers. Over decades huge colonies of poor along railway tracks closerto railway stations have become norm. This was not anticipated when Britishers began their railway companies in India in 1800s.
    upload_2021-8-25_17-31-10.jpeg

    Trains are slowed down as they approach tracks in certain pockets where down trodden sitting on tracks whistling and shitting.
    Despite operating scavenging trains for cleaning and clearing night soil and other kinds of waste, Indian railways could not cope up with this dirty work.

    Near national monuments, huge hotels have come to cater to tourists. This caused a sizeable population shift toward these areas anticipating lucrative trades and other businesses. To serve these, poor too migrated to places like Agra. They stay in tin-roofed dwellings closer to railway tracks/station and the business centres.

    Not only on the way to world famous TajMahal but numerous other places in India turned into shitty tracks.

    Foreign tourists envy these poor Indians enjoying luxury of attending to Nature ‘s call while viewing listening to duets on their smartphone with or without holding a water bottle!
     
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2021
  4. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    11,577
    Likes Received:
    12,425
    Trophy Points:
    615
    Gender:
    Male
    Any comments to my above#3 above?
    Regards.
     
    maalti likes this.
  5. maalti

    maalti Gold IL'ite

    Messages:
    307
    Likes Received:
    491
    Trophy Points:
    130
    Gender:
    Female
    Yes of course. Government could construct toilets near the station
     
    Thyagarajan likes this.
  6. umaakumar

    umaakumar Finest Post Winner

    Messages:
    634
    Likes Received:
    839
    Trophy Points:
    188
    Gender:
    Female
    Dear Maalti,

    Just as Mr. Thyagaraja explained, the reason for this, you should look at this from these people points of view.
    I am from Bangalore. The Government has built public toilets in the corners of every slum. It is a big one with good water facility. People in spite of this, do not go inside. They do their business outside the toilet. Even a person who wants to enter cannot because of the mess outside
    About a few years back, when you travelled by road, it was common for all to use the bushes by the side for this. It was very difficult to find toilets anywhere, not even in the hotels on the highways. Today things have improved. Every toll booths, petrol pumps, and hotels have clean toilets.
    I am sure these people you see, have other alternative. People must change their attitude, and use toilets provided for them.
    Regards
    Uma
     
    maalti and Thyagarajan like this.
  7. Thyagarajan

    Thyagarajan IL Hall of Fame

    Messages:
    11,577
    Likes Received:
    12,425
    Trophy Points:
    615
    Gender:
    Male
    Quite true.
    Most modern toilets have come up in Bengaluru
     

Share This Page