Skip to main content

It Starts with You



Ever noticed all the litter on the roads of Kathmandu? Of course you have; what a stupid question to start with! My bad. Let us start over. Ever thought about what you could do regarding the litter on the roads of Kathmandu? The very first instinct would be to recycle or to pick up the rubbish organizing a cleaning campaign or even management of dustbins in the city. However, all that would require you to invest both time and money, and of course a team.  And what is the guarantee that things will go according to plan for a clean Kathmandu? We cannot really tell, can we? But what is the most we could do as an individual? Put your waste in the dustbin. It starts with you.

They say that the Nepalese people have a great endurance power for everything; be it the load shedding period or the dusty Kathmandu roads. I don’t know if this is a good thing or bad. We really always keep blaming the government for absence of proper waste management but is it only the government to be blamed?  Yes, the government needs to emphasize on the matter of recycling and waste management but is it not our responsibility to handle what is in our hands? It starts with you.

Where do you think all that litter or waste came from? It is all man-made. Every day we buy things that are required for our day to day life. And it is our right to do so. We purchased because we need it. But what do we do with the bottle or the packet? We do not see a dustbin on the road or anywhere nearby and we do not think twice before casually tossing it aside on the road. We think: it’s one paper or plastic, how much of a difference will it really make? But you know what:  it does. Post your little toss, another individual will think the same: someone has already thrown here so I am not the only one and the number only grows from there. The result: a mound of filth on the roadside. And then we think: oh the government of Nepal has no proper garbage management. It starts with you.

What can you do then? Get a hold on it. Unless you come near a proper dustbin, keep it your bag or in your pockets. Do not casually throw it on the road.  Throw it in the dustbin when you get home even, but not casually on the road. I have seen many people just casually tossing a chewing gum wrapper or a noodles packet on the road; walking on the streets and even out of a moving vehicle. It brings me shame to say that I have even seen a traffic police doing so. I have seen temples being built on the streets or the corners just so that people would stop throwing garbage there out of sheer respect. Are we really that sensitive? Does it really require a temple to be built on the road to stop us from throwing our rubbish there? We have always been taught in school about the importance of cleanliness in our surroundings. Does that include only our home?

Think about it. Let us not only wait for the government to do their part, but do our part too. Remember: it starts with you.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rajamati

I think we’ve all heard the song of Rajamati growing up. It is so popular that many people in Nepal claim this is the only Newari song that they have heard. The song was written some 200 years back. The first few lines go like this, which I’m sure you must have heard of, unless you’ve been living under a rock: Rājamati kumati, jike wasā pirati Hāya bābā Rājamati-chā Rājamati mabila dhāsā Kāshi wane tela bubā Hayā biu Rājamati-chā. San dhāsā kuli kuli, mikhā dhāsā bālā bālā Sakumi yā mhyāy machā lā Khwā dhāsā tuyu khwā, khwālay niga tee du Tāhā Nani yā Rājamati-chā. It is said to be written by or rather from the perspective of a man who was infatuated and in awe of the beauty of Rajamati. He describes with great admiration: her hair, her eyes, her complexion and the little moles on her face. However it is unknown who the writer of this beautiful song is. The song rushed into popularity after it was played in England in 1850 when Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana vi...
5 comments
Read more

Everyday Phases by my Mother part 2

  I have been meaning to write this part 2, especially after Every Day Phrases by my Mother , the first part was liked by so many and also because, well, the phrases and the dialogues never end with my mother. I did tease her about writing a book or making a scrapbook about all her phrases, but we never got around to it. So here we are, after almost 4 years, apologies if the Nepal bhasa wordings are incorrect somewhere Ne tha ne masau Bhwauthau pwa This is basically saying, not being able to take advantage of the situation or not doing what you are supposed to do at the event. If you get invited somewhere that has food, you should eat there. Neu twanyu tha yu yethe, jui chwanyu kata pinyu yethe I have heard this one many times. In the society that we live in, impression and your social image matters a lot, especially when it comes to family prestige. So it does not matter what you do at home but once you step outside, there is this social obligation of dressing appropriately, behav...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Oldest Kumari

Dhana Kumari Bajracharya resides amidst the hustle and bustle in Gabahal, Patan. She is a 70 year old woman, who you would think is much younger at age, if you look at her. Age seems to have done justice to this beautiful woman. What makes this wise old woman different than other wise old women in Patan? She is the oldest Kumari of Patan. Kumari, the living goddess is a tradition or a practice that has been around for many years and that has been celebrated widely in the Kathmandu Valley. The very first Kumari goes back to 17 th Century. The process to choose the Kumari is divine and a girl must go through several tests to get chosen as the Kumari. Dhana Kumari Bajracharya is the longest serving Kumari of Patan having been established as the Kumari from 2010 B.S to 2042 B.S. A whooping 32 years. Perhaps her case is the most rare that we might come across. A girl serves as a Kumari until she reaches puberty, or she has her first menstruation. After that, it is believed that th...
1 comment
Read more