I happened to see a program on TV today. There was a dialog that was said in jest but to me it seemed grossly offensive. The dialog was "adi mooti aaa leka Musi Nadi aaa". The clear assumption was that musi river is a gutter and hence the comparison that asks "are you uttering words that fit the gutter Musi". Similar references are taken to Hussain sagar lake. Who had in there first place polluted musi and Hussain sagar and how dare we further make fun of these water bodies. What if we are left with no choice but to drink water from these bodies? What are we going to do then? Make fun or start revering them? We might think of thousands of Swach Bharat campaigns and save Hussain sagar lake programs, but if the fundamental mind set is not changed to respect water bodies, we will be condemned to die by drinking water from them.
At the moment we have a very settled mind set that we can do anything and care a damn.. it is the govt problem to supply me clean water ( probably derived from the socialist mindset that even if I don't work govt will take care of me..). I was speaking to a group of people a few days ago. They had some land closer to gandipet lake and were worried that they wouldn't fetch a profit for the price they bought the land. They Hope that govt would convert that land as commercial and that would fetch them more money. I asked them what happens to the lake. It is so close and probably blocks water flows into the lake. One guy's response was "who cares, that is not my problem. Just throw money at the govt and they will give the go ahead for the the area to be converted into a commercial gold mine".
Such gross insensitiveness that has seeped into the people's system needs a cleanup campaign more than the symbolic cleanup of jhadooing the streets. No amount of money spent to plant trees or clean lakes are going to help.
My solution : expose the effect of pollution directly to everyone. Govt should start distributing water from the polluted lakes and rivers. People who visit Hussain saggar lake must be asked to drink water from the lake Instead of allowing sale of costly mineral water bottles at hussain sagar lake. Lack of choice will make people to sit up and take notice. If the supply of water is short, people will throw money and get water tankers. But what happens if such provisions are banned completely and people are given the option of taking water only from musi out Hussain sagar.
To achieve cleanliness We should first experience the discomfort of uncleanliness. When we will taste bitter water every morning and keep getting itching sensations and water borne diseases.
That is when we would realize the value of our water bodies. That is when the majority will realize that our own polluting activities are directly affecting us.
We need a cultural shift to achieve swach bharat. The realization of threat to one self will create a detterance to pollute. No amount of money poured in will ever help us realize our dream of clean India.
And that is when the culture of disrespect would also end and the dialogs equating ones gibberish talk to the gutter musi will never ever be uttered again....
At the moment we have a very settled mind set that we can do anything and care a damn.. it is the govt problem to supply me clean water ( probably derived from the socialist mindset that even if I don't work govt will take care of me..). I was speaking to a group of people a few days ago. They had some land closer to gandipet lake and were worried that they wouldn't fetch a profit for the price they bought the land. They Hope that govt would convert that land as commercial and that would fetch them more money. I asked them what happens to the lake. It is so close and probably blocks water flows into the lake. One guy's response was "who cares, that is not my problem. Just throw money at the govt and they will give the go ahead for the the area to be converted into a commercial gold mine".
Such gross insensitiveness that has seeped into the people's system needs a cleanup campaign more than the symbolic cleanup of jhadooing the streets. No amount of money spent to plant trees or clean lakes are going to help.
My solution : expose the effect of pollution directly to everyone. Govt should start distributing water from the polluted lakes and rivers. People who visit Hussain saggar lake must be asked to drink water from the lake Instead of allowing sale of costly mineral water bottles at hussain sagar lake. Lack of choice will make people to sit up and take notice. If the supply of water is short, people will throw money and get water tankers. But what happens if such provisions are banned completely and people are given the option of taking water only from musi out Hussain sagar.
To achieve cleanliness We should first experience the discomfort of uncleanliness. When we will taste bitter water every morning and keep getting itching sensations and water borne diseases.
That is when we would realize the value of our water bodies. That is when the majority will realize that our own polluting activities are directly affecting us.
We need a cultural shift to achieve swach bharat. The realization of threat to one self will create a detterance to pollute. No amount of money poured in will ever help us realize our dream of clean India.
And that is when the culture of disrespect would also end and the dialogs equating ones gibberish talk to the gutter musi will never ever be uttered again....
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