At the first glance, everything around the main walk at the Great Rann of Kutch felt totally clean. Then I started walking on the salt land. Immediately after the platform you can get down and walk on the salt. People did leave garbage around this place. It completely stunned me. For me the landscape was so beautiful that I would just not dare to litter around it, not that I otherwise litter in public places. If such landscapes can’t move people to keep it clean, I wonder what would? If big dustbins and signs right next to the place don’t motivate people to keep the it clean, do we really have hope.
To me it was sacrilege that people left behind their trash in this pristine environment of the Great Rann of Kutch. I then did what I have never done before. I picked the biggest offending pieces, a polythene full of trash and a few large plastic plates, and threw then into the dustbin.
A child asked me why I was gathering trash. I replied because the place was too beautiful to be littered! A couple also came to me and said that they really appreciated what I did. My simple reply was that I enjoyed the place too much to let it remain dirty. Mostly because I hesitate I won’t do any such thing. I just enjoyed the landscape so much that I was motivated to let go of my hesitation and do just a little bit of cleaning.
I hardly get outraged but really what is wrong with us Indians? Why do litter with abandon in public places, in beautiful places even when there is a dustbin just a few feet way. I wonder if anyone has an answer.
Will I do it again? I am not sure at all. If the landscape is as beautiful as the Great ran of Kutch, who knows, I may do it again. But in all honesty I will most probably just walk off the next time, like everyone else.
I don’t understand it either! Good for you for picking up the garbage.
Lady Fi it is a big problem here! I did it just this one time.
OMG! a post after my own heart. The litterbugs don’t seem to care, it’s almost like saying ‘have plastic, will litter’.
Sad but true!
Really, this nasty habit of Indians amazes me too…perhaps we don’t love our beautiful country enough. Because if we really loved it, we would keep it clean.
I guess this has to change!
This thing is common at scenic/tourist places and also disturbs me a lot. But I didn’t remember if I had done anything about it except complaining.
But I must appreciate your efforts of picking the trash and throwing it in dustbin. It is really a nice gesture and I think if we should do it in front of people who have thrown the trash, it will surely embarrass them and perhaps they will get a lesson for life.
It was just a momentary thing! The Great Rann of Kutch was too beautiful and I reacted! Not sure if I will do the same the next time.
If only all of us will be more sensitive to the pristine places we go…this is some thing all of us need to take care of
With you on this one!
people see dustbins yet throw garbage on the streets … public urinal may be nearby but they get a special relief by urinating on somebody’s boundary … really fed up of such morons
Things should change, and we can be a small part of it?
I so agree. We were lucky to be at the White Rann a day before the Utsav officially started and could see it in its pristine glory. But it pains me to see the wrappers and bottles so carelessly thrown around. It is like we think that once we have been to a place, it doesn’t matter who else would come after us.
Wrote something similar here http://bohemiansnuffbumble.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/is-there-a-thing-as-zero-footprint-tourism/
Would love your thoughts on it.
Thanks for sharing your post.