Civic sense refers to the shared social responsibility and unspoken rules that individuals adopt to maintain cleanliness and harmony in public spaces. But littering on streets, beaches, and tourist spots have become a growing concern and a hot topic of discussion in India, with many people sharing videos and photos of individuals lacking the sense of responsibility towards their own nation.
Speaking on a similar vein, a recent video from Delhi’s popular Chandni Chowk has gone viral, once again drawing attention to the lack of civic responsibility among citizens. The clip, shared on Instagram, was recorded early in the morning by a bicyclist passing through the area.
What’s In The Video?
The video shows streets filled with garbage despite multiple
dustbins placed nearby. Expressing his frustration, the cyclist says, “Look at this. Kitni gandagi hai yaha par. Chalo ek baar ke liye maan lete hain ki safai nahin hui hai, lkin kya ye civic sense hai ki dustbin me ek bhi gand nahi hai. Uske aas paas har jagh gand hai. Koi daal hi nahi raha hai dustbin me. Aadat hi nahi hai kisi ki. (How much filth there is here! Let’s assume for a moment that the area hasn’t been cleaned, but is this even basic civic sense? There’s not a single piece of trash in the dustbin. There’s garbage everywhere around it. Nobody is even bothering to put anything in the dustbin. It’s like nobody has the habit of using them).”
He further adds, “Ab bolo government isme kya kar sakti hai. Itne dustbin to unhone laga diye hai. Humari civic sense hi aisi hai ki humlog dustbin me dalte hi nahi hai. Aur yaha foreigners’ aate hai sabse jyada socho. (Now tell me, what can the government do about this? They’ve installed so many dustbins. Our civic sense is so poor that we don’t even bother to use them. And think about it, this is a place where so many foreigners come.)”
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DTcYD1vkYJV/
Social Media Nodded In Agreement
The video quickly gained traction, with viewers agreeing that the issue goes beyond governance and lies largely with public behaviour. While some also blamed the shopkeepers for littering the place.
“True. Doosre desh ke logon ke saamne hamare desh ki kitni beizzati hogi, so sad (How humiliating this will be for our country in the eyes of people from other countries),” read a comment.
Another wrote, “This is daily routine here in Chandni Chowk, millions of Indian rupees spent on this area to make and look like heritage but nothing has changed.”
“Bhai me Sunday gaya tha evening me, ek to itna crowd tha uper se ese hi garbage on road par tha (I went there on Sunday evening, and there was so much crowd, and on top of that, there was garbage all over the road),” shared a user.
An individual stated, “It’s pathetic. Nothing will happen by requesting people to be civic, put cameras, use facial recognition, track people, impose fines and jail for littering and spitting. You will automatically see improvement.”
“Dustbin show pieces hai,” quipped a user.
Another commented, “Shopkeepers are the real reason behind the mess, then visitors & then comes the govt. Departments.”
Mumbai Man Dumps Bag Of Waste Into Sea
The Chandni Chowk video comes shortly after another disturbing clip from Mumbai went viral. Recorded and shared by a foreign traveller near the Gateway of India, the video shows a local man arriving with his young daughter and casually dumping a bag of waste into the sea.
Shocked by the act, the foreigner looks around in disbelief before confronting the man and pointing out his actions. He asks, “What is that? The guy just got out of his car and threw all the rubbish into the river. That’s not good.”
https://twitter.com/drunkJournalist/status/201073356601634044
Despite being questioned, the man shows no reaction. While the traveller’s face is not visible, his voice conveys clear anger, discomfort, and sadness over the incident.
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