Educate people about importance of civic sense

It is a common sight to watch people in the city throw trash as and where they like, spit without any concern for others. At many places, people answer nature’s call openly, wherever they find an empty space or a boundary wall. They are least bothered about keeping the surroundings clean.

“All of these not only cause inconvenience to others but also result in severe health problems. Diseases like malaria, diarrhea, and many viral infections today are spread due to unclean surroundings. I have come to realize that simply blaming the officials for neighborhood problems is not going to solve the issue. We need to change our mindset,” says Adeem Raza.

“Everybody thinks it is not his duty, but the civic agency’s duty to keep the surroundings clean. With every passing day, the civic sense seems to deteriorate I have never stopped and asked myself if I am too a part of the problem? In most cases, civic body and citizens share equal responsibility for things going terribly wrong in the city,” says Irfan Naqvi.

“Most people believe just in personal hygiene. They believe that they have all the right to throw anything on the street, as long as it does not affect them. In other ways, their attitude is why bother if my waste thrown on the streets spoils the shirt of the other person, but does not spoil mine,” says Lal Hussain.

“Fines can help control the trash problem in the city. Spitting is a very disgusting act and it is often overlooked. Urinating is akin to public indecency. City authorities could add so much money in fines to the public coffers if they would just impose fines. It is due to the lack of civic guidelines and their enforcement that we as a whole score so poorly on civic sense,” says Faheem Haider

“Also, the media needs to get involved deeper in educating the public about hygiene. The general public needs to be sensitized and encouraged to improve their civic sense. It’s better to not wait for the people who matter, but rather it’s better to activate the people and ensure a drastic change in civic consciousness,” says Johar Ali.

“It is the fundamental duty of every one of us to protect and improve the environment. So, what is our role as a citizen? Speaking up and finding the right approach to address grievances,” says Khurram Kazmi.

Mukhtar Abbas says: “If you think you’re an active citizen, there is one most important facet of active citizenship — influencing others to change and make a change. To really make an impact, you need to encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to act for social change, thus creating a community of active citizens.”