A viral post on X has ignited a debate over the state of India’s most sacred landscapes. The focal point? Mana Village, the last Indian village before the border and home to the legendary Saraswati River.
The video, showing crystal-clear glacial waters and its surrounding hills choked by plastic debris, has prompted a grim realisation: we are loving our mountains to death.
The original tweet didn’t pull any punches, suggesting that Indian tourists have successfully littered every corner of the planet, leaving only outer space untouched.
“Now only Mars is left to be littered… Mana village, home to the mystical Saraswati River, such clean waters now being turned into a pile of garbage.”
The user went as far as to suggest that if the Prime Minister wants a “Sikkim-style” cleanliness across the board, the government needs to deploy a specialised cleanliness force.
Now only Mars is left to be littered, rest remotest of areas are now littered by Indians. Mana village, the home to the mystical Saraswati River, such clean waters now being turned into a pile of garbage.
If PM wants every place to be clean like Sikkim, time to introduce a… pic.twitter.com/cbgzRWXy5g
— Nikhil saini (@iNikhilsaini) April 29, 2026
The comment section became a mirror for the nation’s frustration. One of the most liked comments pointed out a biting hypocrisy in Indian tourism:
“What I find most hilarious and ironical is that it is the middle classes who have no manners or civic sense and litter everywhere they go .. and then you find the same middle class will make vids and post about the garbage and say chee cheee !”
Another user commented, “We have worst tourist culture in India. Even local are equally bad, they also throw garbage everywhere.” Some users also recounted visiting the place before overtourism took over. “i went there in 2012 then it was super clean -guess too much tourism ruined it.”
Some users suggested implementing strict measures like plastic bans in the area to protect the ecosystem. “I saw Tourism Dptt Volanteers at Bir (HP) instructing tourists not to park vehicles on road near landing ground… Why such volunteers can’t be positioned at such vulnerable places where inflow of uncivic tourists is more.”
In a poignant (if slightly desperate) take, one user suggested that since humans won’t listen, the river itself should “complain to Lord Shiva,” as only divine intervention could save the Saraswati now. “Indian nver respect nature, river shuld complain to lord shiva, only lord shiva cn give justice to river.”
