At the Fashion Tourism Show 2026 in Manipur, designer Robert Naorem halted the runway after noticing litter scattered across the stage. Instead of asking staff to clear it quietly, he stopped the music and, along with nearly 40 models, began picking up the trash in full public view. The show paused. The audience watched. The models cleaned.
The act was simple. That simplicity is exactly why it drew attention. In a country where public litter is common, basic civic behaviour often feels unusual enough to go viral.
What Exactly Happened
According to videos circulated online, Naorem saw plastic waste and paper debris on the runway during the event. Rather than continuing as planned, he interrupted the show. Gloves and garbage bags were brought out. The models joined him in clearing the space before the event resumed.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUyPNqWEojb/
There was no dramatic speech. No slogan. Just visible action. In a setting built around presentation and spectacle, the message was direct: if you use a public space, you are responsible for it. That responsibility does not disappear because the setting is glamorous.
The fact that this incident became widely discussed shows how rare visible civic correction is in public events. Cleanups usually happen off-stage, often by sanitation workers who remain invisible. This time, those in the spotlight took on the task.
The Waste Numbers Behind The Moment
India’s waste problem is large and measurable. Urban India generates approximately 1.60–1.70 lakh tonnes of municipal solid waste every day. On average, an individual produces approximately 0.5 kg of solid waste per day. When multiplied across millions of people, even small acts of careless disposal add up quickly.
Treatment levels remain uneven. Estimates suggest that only around 50–55% of municipal solid waste is scientifically processed, while nearly 19–25% in several urban local bodies remains unprocessed. Unprocessed waste often ends up in open dumps, poorly managed landfills, or informal disposal sites.
Environmental policy expert Sunita Narain from the Centre for Science and Environment has consistently argued that India’s waste crisis is less about how much we generate and more about how poorly we segregate and manage it. Without proper separation at source, recyclable and biodegradable waste mix, reducing recovery and increasing dumping.
The litter on a runway may seem minor. But it sits within this larger structural issue.
Public Health And Economic Consequences
Improper waste disposal is not just about appearance. Public health research links unmanaged waste to increased risks of diarrhoeal diseases, vector-borne infections, and respiratory exposure, especially in areas near open dumping or informal burning sites. Waste that blocks drains contributes to waterlogging, which in turn creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
There is also an economic cost. Municipal bodies allocate large portions of their budgets to waste collection, transport, and landfill management. When waste is not segregated or disposed of properly, operational costs increase. Tourism areas and event spaces that appear dirty risk reputational damage.
The visible act of picking up trash highlights a basic truth: preventing litter at source is cheaper and safer than cleaning up after systemic neglect.
Why Civic Behaviour Breaks Down
Littering persists because of both behavioural and structural reasons. Studies in behavioural economics show that people are more likely to litter in areas where waste is already visible. Social norms influence behaviour. If a space appears neglected, individuals assume that standards are low.
Behavioural economist Sendhil Mullainathan has explained that people often default to the easiest immediate action. If a bin is far away or absent, dropping waste becomes the convenient choice. Designing systems that make correct disposal easy is essential.
Policy recommendations from NITI Aayog also emphasise that infrastructure alone is insufficient. Behavioural nudges, public participation, and consistent messaging are required to change habits. Visible role models can shift perception by signalling that certain behaviour is expected.
In this context, a public figure interrupting a show to clean a space functions as a behavioural cue.
Also Read: Fur Kills 3 Mn Animals A Year; Vogue Finally Rejected It
Individual Action Vs Institutional Responsibility
While the runway cleanup was impactful, individual gestures cannot replace systemic reform. Waste management requires coordination between municipal authorities, event organisers, and citizens. Urban governance scholar Isher Judge Ahluwalia has stressed that institutional accountability must accompany citizen responsibility for meaningful change.
Event organisers carry specific obligations. Large gatherings generate concentrated waste. Proper planning includes adequate bin placement, segregation facilities, on-site collection teams, and post-event waste audits. When such systems are absent or poorly implemented, the burden shifts informally to workers or volunteers.
The incident in Manipur highlights both sides: civic initiative and organisational oversight.
The Role of Campaigns And Public Messaging
National sanitation efforts such as the Swachh Bharat Mission have repeatedly emphasised behaviour change as central to waste reform. Campaign messaging has focused on the dignity of labour, source segregation, and citizen ownership of public spaces.
However, behavioural change requires sustained reinforcement. One symbolic act does not permanently shift norms. Consistency matters. Repetition matters. Institutional follow-through matters.
When visible figures demonstrate compliance, it can strengthen public messaging. But for a durable impact, these actions must be supported by systems that make compliance easy and routine.
Why The Incident Resonated
The reason the Manipur runway moment stood out is not that it was dramatic. It stood out because it was basic. Cleaning one’s surroundings should not be exceptional. Yet it often is.
Public discourse frequently focuses on large-scale reforms, budget allocations, and technological solutions. Those are necessary. But civic culture operates at the level of daily habits. Throwing waste in a bin. Holding onto trash until one is available. Ensuring events manage their own waste.
When these habits weaken, even simple corrective action feels remarkable.
The Fashion Tourism Show in Manipur briefly shifted attention from design to discipline. Robert Naorem and his team demonstrated that public responsibility does not conflict with visibility or status.
The larger waste crisis in India involves tonnes, treatment capacity, and institutional gaps. But it also involves everyday decisions made by individuals. The runway cleanup did not solve structural waste management challenges. It did, however, expose how low expectations have become when basic civic sense attracts applause.
Sustainable improvement will require both systems that function reliably and citizens who treat public spaces as a shared responsibility. Without both, litter will continue to accumulate, quietly, consistently, and predictably.
Images: Google Images
Sources: Better India, The Times Of India, NDTV
Find the blogger: Katyayani Joshi
This post is tagged under: civic sense, waste management, swachh bharat, public responsibility, clean india, environmental awareness, sustainable events, fashion with purpose, robert naorem, manipur news, urban governance, social responsibility, behaviour change, public health india, solid waste crisis, india environment, accountability matters, citizen action, event management, eco conscious living
Disclaimer: We do not hold any right, copyright over any of the images used, these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.
Other Recommendations
Why Indians Lack Serious Civic Sense And Basic Hygiene
