India is no way close to clean countries. Hong Kong and London are definitely clean, Singapore is spotless and parts of European countries stunningly clean, pristine and beautifully maintained. But it’s unfair to compare India with other countries.
There is a lack of basic civic hygiene in our country – Garbage spilled all over, no segregation of waste, poor hygiene and sanitation quality of cities… Each one of us has this philosophy “keep your home clean, throw the waste out”. It doesn’t work that way. One should realise that he/she has to walk on the same road again. Any sensible individual would know that the only way to avoid sickness and maintain good health is by maintaining high standards of hygiene.
Treat your city like your home. People should take some initiative to keep the city clean and green. Take care where you are dumping your waste, ensure there is proper segregation of garbage; the civic body has to be more organised, particular and efficient. You just have to make a concerted effort to keep it clean and green.
I’m an obsessive cleaner. I like uncluttered and clean space, like Monica in the ‘Friends’ serial. I’m so obsessive about cleaning that I wipe all jaalis with Dettol! A cupboard in my bathroom is only dedicated to cleaning solutions. Everything in my house is washed and cleaned on a regular basis. There is no question of cleaning only on weekends because I reside in a terrace flat and it has to be cleaned everyday. I ensure each and every corner is cleaned and maintained very well.
I don’t let any kind of waste accumulate anywhere at home or at workplace. Even my handbag has a dedicated compartment for wrappers, gums and peels. When you travel with children you could end up with a lot of mess in the car. So, I always have a polythene bag placed in my car to throw all sorts of wastes. Even my kids and husband throw their unwanted stuffs in this bag.
If educated people start throwing things on the road, what could you expect from the uneducated? This was sometime back, while I was driving my car, a person travelling in the auto rickshaw beside me, tossed a plate of sev puri out which landed on my car bonnet. I was appalled! I managed to stop the rickshaw. Though I wanted to scream, I just looked straight at his face. My expressions were enough to say it all. They were taken aback to see me.
You can’t be choosy about the workplace. But I make sure my make-up van is spotless, even if I’ve to use it just for a day. I ensure the van is wiped on a regular basis; there are no tea-stains or food trays lying around.
I don’t visit a toilet that doesn’t meet my standards. Most of the public toilets in India are in bad shape. Abroad, they are very particular about maintaining toilets. Moreover, they have cleaning services to look after the day-to-day cleaning activity.
As told to Clean India Journal
