By Arré Bench Nov. 02, 2020
When Chandra Kishore Patil noticed people thoughtlessly disposing their waste in the river Godavari, he decided to take a stand. For five years now, he has been guarding the Godavari by stopping people from dumping their garbage into the river.
Pollution has been a cause of concern in the country for as long as one can remember. While it is indeed the government’s duty to enforce laws and regulations to curb this evil, the goal can only be achieved when each individual citizen is also responsible. And Chandra Kishore Patil from Indiranagar, Nashik is the perfect example of leading by example.
Water bodies, especially during festive seasons, see a deluge of plastic waste, turning them filthier each passing year. When Patil noticed people thoughtlessly disposing of their waste in the river Godavari, he decided to take a stand. For five years now, he has been guarding the Godavari by stopping people from dumping their garbage into the river.
Patil’s efforts came to the limelight after being spotted by IFS officer Swetha Boddu, who tweeted about him on Saturday. “I saw this man stand on this road the entire day with a whistle in hand to stop people from throwing Dussehra ‘holy waste’ in plastic bags into the Godavari, Nashik,” tweeted Boddu along with photos of Patil standing next to a large number of plastic bags.
I saw this man stand on this road entire day with a whistle in hand to stop people from throwing Dussehra ‘holy waste’ in #Plastic bags into Godavari @Nashik
Dear Mr Patil, Respect! pic.twitter.com/Q3hj5ggP5v
— Swetha Boddu, IFS (@swethaboddu) October 31, 2020
Patil, who lives in a society near the river, noticed the water body being turned into a dumping space as people around the area continued to throw their waste into the river after the festivities. Someone had to put an end to this filthy act, and Patil was ready to be that someone. “I’ve been doing this every year for five years now. And will continue doing this until my health permits,” Patil told the Hindustan Times. The municipality then collects the accumulated waste and takes it to a separate dump yard.
From morning to 11 pm, Patil stands by the river with a whistle to alert people and stops them from throwing garbage in the river. And it’s not an easy task. “Many behave rudely with me, but I still persuade them not to do such things,” Patil added. When people refuse to comply at first, Patil simply fills a bottle with the river water and asks them to take a sip from it. As expected, people refuse to do so. It’s just one of Patil’s simple tricks to bring awareness to severe water pollution.
Chandra Kishore Patil stands for a whole day beside the Godavari river to prevent people from dumping their garbage in it. https://t.co/Z2jcwAnIbe
— CNNNews18 (@CNNnews18) November 1, 2020
Boddu’s post has caught the attention of netizens, and people can’t stop lauding Patil for his noble efforts. Many even recognise him as a hero for the environment.
Real eco volunteer.
Salute brother— Shashi kant sharma (@Skant1968) November 1, 2020
In a way he is an warrior, caring environment. We salute him.🙏
— Alert Citizen (@jabalmumtaz) November 1, 2020
Now that’s an Heroic Endeavor right there. https://t.co/uM6sCa9Qxo
— तात्या! (@Gaonka6hhora) November 1, 2020
One user even called Patil “The real hero of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.”
The real hero for #Swatch_Bharat_Abhiyan
— नितिन चौहान 🇮🇳 (@nitingzb) November 1, 2020
“Lets adopt it as a habit ,each one of us,” one netizen suggested. And we wholeheartedly agree!
Lets adopt it as a habit ,each one of us.😇 https://t.co/LeSG3FLX8c
— Live (@KumawatNeetika) November 1, 2020
It surely takes one person to change the world.
If empowered, such volunteers can force the kind people 2 take it back with them. https://t.co/eBD5ZPqURz
— ArunobhB (@ArunobhB) November 1, 2020
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