There has been a rising tide of dissent from people across India, calling out authorities for not ensuring that proper cleaning and maintenance of various places around us.
From potholes to roadside construction, heritage sites in disarray, trash and garbage littering open spaces, sewers getting clogged, and naked electric wires hanging around being a danger to the lives of the people are all things that have been brought by citizens of the country.
While the authorities keep making empty promises, it seems some heroic people have decided to get up and start doing the work themselves.
Ordinary citizens, students, shopkeepers, professionals, and retirees are stepping forward and refusing to wait for systems to change. Armed with gloves, sacks, and unshakeable resolve, they are cleaning roads, reviving polluted lakes, segregating waste, and inspiring neighbours to act.
These grassroots champions prove that civic responsibility is not confined to policy rooms; it lives in everyday action. Here, we look at some of these warriors who are taking the first step and bringing the community along with them to start changing the country one initiative at a time.
Asif Hindustani
Instagram: @asifhindustanii
Sanskriti Youth Foundation
Instagram: @sanskritiyouthfoundation
The Ocean Cleanup
Instagram: @theoceancleanup
The Ocean Cleanup is a Netherlands-based non-profit organisation that developed technologies to help capture plastic waste in rivers, before it hits the oceans.
They recently announced a new initiative where the NGO will be deploying barriers in the Trombay and Malad waterways in Mumbai to prevent plastic waste from entering the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.
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Based on data from their Smart River Survey, the reason to choose Mumbai as the first city is due to how it is from here that almost 5 million kilograms of plastic waste enter the mentioned ocean bodies. These barriers are expected to “recover 61 to 92 tonnes of plastic per year.”
Belum Helping Hands
Instagram: @belumhelpinghands
Social influencer Abbayi Kanth and his initiative of @belumhelpinghands have come under appreciation by many people after news of how his one step to clean an old well located in Peapully Mandal managed to start a movement of sorts.
Kanth has been organising cleanup drives to restore stepwells across the R Krishnapuram, a village in the Allagadda mandal of Nandyal district, Andhra Pradesh, for a while now.
His latest video, which has gone viral, featured the 500-year-old temple well, where he posted footage of the poor maintenance of the structure, showing plastic waste and alcohol bottles, as well as garbage that had been accumulating at the site for years. Kanth, in a post, asked the residents to take action and started a cleanup drive to restore the structure to its former glory.
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This appeal ended up going viral, and under the banner of Poorva Sampada Rakshaka Sena, a collective focused on heritage protection, almost 300 volunteers came forward to achieve the goal of cleaning up the temple.
From children to old people, from men to women, all came together, using any and every tool possible to sweep and clean up the structure, cut away unwanted shrubs, and use tractors to collect the piles of mud. Kanth soon posted a before-and-after of the site, showing how the once garbage-filled place was now clean and tidy.
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Amit H Amarnath
Instagram: @amithamarnath
Snigdha Kamath
Instagram: @snigdha.travellingfeet
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Elderly Man’s Plastic Cleanup From Alleppey Backwaters In Kerala
There is no Instagram account for this person; however, his actions were caught by Karnataka-based plant retailer Riddhi Plants during her trip to the Alleppey backwaters.
On February 13, 2026, the Instagram page @riddhiplants shared a video with a text overlay, “Civic sense is the new trend?” showing a man rowing a boat and collecting plastic waste like water bottles and more from the river.
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In the caption, she wrote, “During our visit to the beautiful Alleppey backwaters, we were mesmerized by the calm waters and serene surroundings. But amidst all that beauty, it was disheartening to see so many plastic bottles and waste carelessly thrown around. It made us pause and reflect.
The next morning, we noticed an elderly man patiently collecting the plastic bottles left behind by visitors. There was something deeply moving about that moment. While many come here to enjoy the beauty, very few think about protecting it.
Travel is not just about taking memories; it’s also about showing respect to the places that host us. If we can carry plastic with us on the way in, we can certainly carry it back on the way out. Responsible tourism is the true mark of good civic sense.”
The actions of the elderly man were appreciated and applauded by many on the post, to the point that the video went viral. Many commented on how this should be the behaviour of everyone and not just one man.
Many pointed out how it is high time that our countrypeople learn not just civic sense but also take initiative where possible.
Bittu Tabahi
Instagram: @bittu_tabahi
Umeed Foundation
Instagram: @umeed.foundationn
These individuals and groups show that solutions also lie at the community level. More importantly, they model behaviour. When a passerby sees someone voluntarily picking up litter, it disrupts apathy.
It also raises a quiet but powerful question: if they can do it, why can’t I?
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: India Today, Hindustan Times, Business Today
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Cleaning, cleanliness drive, cleanliness drive viral, civic sense, indian civic sense, garbage, garbage cleaning, cleanliness drive india, Andhra temple well
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