The Concern: Mumbai gets dirty everyday because of good & bad people with dirty habits. For me, the most affected areas are the Railway Stations of Mumbai.
We should be able to do something which will help keep Mumbai clean. The approach is not towards cleaning the place, because that’s too passive. The approach is not towards increasing the fine charged to mis-creants; that has a very short-term effect and also brings in corruption. The approach should be towards proactively stopping the mis-creants in such a way that it has a strong Short-term and Long-Term impact.
The Idea:
1. Senior Citizen Groups can be engaged to patrol the railway station premises and fine the miscreants. The fine can be increased, with a fixed percentage of the fine going to the welfare of the Senior Citizen Group. They would have a new purpose in their lives.
2. Occasionally, School & College students can be engaged in this activity. A child pointing out to you that spitting is bad, would put the miscreant to shame without any heated argument. On the other side, a child who stops bad deeds today, would himself stop doing it tomorrow.
3. Eunuchs can play a very vital role in this activity too. They are anyways considered to be out of the society. This should be good opportunity for them to involve themselves in Social activities and gain some good-will for themselves.
The idea is to create mixed groups of the above three categories of citizens and have them patrol the railway stations on frequent to rate basis. By doing this, we can reduce corruption, increase revenues generated through fine, educate children on keeping the vicinity clean, and much more.
Its time that control comes to the people, because I believe we can do it better than our representatives. Do send me your comments on this and let me know if you think this would work, flop, or even if you felt like laughing. I plan to send this across to the concerned authorities soon.
Thats a good thought. Should work. Wish you luck.
Thanks!
There were about 60 – 70 hits after I announced this new post to everyone, but no one commented. Wonder why?
good one oily!!
Hi allwyn! Its worth appreciating that a citizen feels the need of a cleaner Mumbai so much that he works out a plan out of his concern. I first want to congratulate you for that. There are very few who deeply think about it.
What actually makes me think over here is why should one be doing all this?? Only because it concerns you?? The concern has not pinched them the way it has done to you. Okay to some extent I agree with you when you want the school going children to participate in your plan, primarily because they are the young receptive minds which can be nurtured to a positive idea right from the beginning of their lives. And this plan may work also with them into the picture because the children have no other options than to agree to their authorities & act accordingly. But what about the eunuchs & the old people ?? Why should they be interested??
Only because its you who think that the eunuchs have no other work to do (which may not be true), should they indulge in such a move!!! And what do you think will the people – the young listen to the elderly whom they hardly respect?
What more of an example should I give you displaying the attitude of the youth today when a young person has worked out a plan which doesn’t involve the integral part-the youth itself? Isn’t it shameful that the youth of today is using the weaker sections of the society namely the elderly, the school going children & the eunuchs to work out his plans? This could be their reaction as well.
I think that this topic should be studied more thoroughly & more efforts should be made in the light of this direction because that’s what actually it needs. It needs more thinking. And I know that as its you who has initiated it have also the ability to carry the thinking further ahead with a committment to do so.
Shefali,
I did not even consider the youth in this plan because, they have so many better things to do. Its not their fault really, because our education system is such, which hardly emphasises on anything else but “learning like a parrot & then vommitting out in the exam”. If we make the children aware today, they may become more aware tomorrow as youth.
The Eunuchs and Old folk are so sidelined today. The plan makes an effort to make them a part of our society once again. It has to start somewhere. May be a regular pay from the Gov. may attract them to join us.
I am really touched with your response. It gives me a satisfaction that there is someone out there who thinks and more importantly, RESPONDS.
Thanks Shefali…
Why not just have plastic bags banned ,mass produce
better recycled paper bags.
Regulate street side food stalls such that they ae ether restricted to an area and not spread anywhere and everywhere .
The idea of decentralizing tasks to different groups of citizens would never work as its been asked for attempted and failed after the initial drive .The reason being ppl get bored / move on / or senior citizen die soon
…. the point is having a tougher law and making sure its imposed is the only way out as law never dies goes old or etc etc
Also i have since college days carried around wrappers bottles and shit in my bag to home to dispose em off… the problem being lack of dustbins
Point is have a law and make sure its implemented
No point in taking tasks up voluntarily
There is BMC being paid to do the job and they HAVE TO do it.
What you and i can do is only make sure the right guy is bugged when the job is not done.
As in my area is Kalina … things are pretty damn neat just coz of our local leader …. not 100% great but its 75% better than what it was … thats a huge thing