Kolkata citizens sweep city clean, receive huge support

Kolkata: It has been done in the past. It will probably be done in the future. But an ongoing citizens' initiative to keep Kolkata clean is drawing huge support and may just turn out to be long distance runner. The initiative is called Garbage Free India. Kolkata is a pilot project. The best part is, those who have left Kolkata are chipping in.

On Friday morning, activists of Garbage Free India - adults as well as school children - came together at Kolkata's Dhakuria Lakes. Brooms in hand, they cleaned up the garbage strewn around. "I am here to keep the city clean... it is important to be hygienic, it prevents disease and it looks nice," said Aryan Agarwal, a Class 7 student who was part of the group.

By his side was Shruti Ghosh who now lives in Dubai but wants to do something for Kolkata where she was born and brought up. "Garbage Free India wants to shake up people and say, no more complacency and blaming others. Let's get up and do something," she said.

Their efforts soon borne fruits and several onlookers joined in, including a policeman, Pranab Mandal, who picked up a broom and started sweeping. "I saw these people cleaning the area. I liked that. I also want a clean city. So I joined in," he said.

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Some would say 'been there done that', but not everyone is cynical. "Children are not cynical... thank god for that... they believe they deserve a better future and that's where our hope lies," said Kasturi Roy Chodhury, an activist of Garbage Free India. She has launched a cleanup campaign in her neighbourhood in central Kolkata and believes she and these children have made a difference.

Kolkata is Garbage Free India's pilot project. The rest of country will come next.

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