The Changing City

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When Shiva returns to Gorakhpur, the city of his childhood feels both familiar and foreign. Amid rapid urban changes and environmental neglect, he chooses action over despair, starting a solo cleanup mission that soon blossoms into a community movement. With the guidance of an elderly couple, the group breathes life back into their hometown, proving that revitalising a city’s soul is possible when passion, persistence, and purpose come together.

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when they are created by everybody.” — Jane Jacobs

It was the early summer of 2022 when Shiva decided to quit his 9-to-5 corporate job and get away from loud noises and the metro lifestyle of New Delhi. He moved back to his beloved hometown, “Gorakhpur”. On returning, he was excited to explore his city just as he did in his childhood.

When he stepped out of the railway station, he was astonished; he wasn’t able to recognise the chowrahas. There was construction going on each street on his way home. He saw many new shopping malls and complexes, etc., and many are still under construction. “The city was changing,” he had a thought in his head.

After ensuring a work-from-home job opportunity and creating a schedule, he thought of visiting parks and other places in the city where he used to go with his friends and family. He was pretty excited to observe what changes would have taken place. But he was once again shocked seeing the situation. Though the city was on the path of infrastructure development and the parks were restructured and redeveloped, there was littering and garbage everywhere. Even the beautiful Ramgarh Taal was filled with plastic, and the trees were being cut down in the name of development, and those left were not in good condition.

This shook his soul, and he discussed it with his friends and also complained to the local authorities. The authorities informed them that they were doing their job. The daily littering frustrated him, and when he saw plastic bottles in the Taal, he said, “That’s it!!!” He knew that the problem was with the mindset of the citizens. One day as he was browsing on the internet, he came to know about “plogging”, which meant picking up litter while walking or jogging. So he started taking action himself. Each day, he woke up early and went on a morning walk with a dustbin bag and a pair of gloves and started plogging in the hope that people would  notice and start using dustbins for their waste and not just litter in the parks, streets and Taal. He also created an Instagram page, “Gorakhpur Ploggers,” and posted his concerns for the present and future of the city. As the days passed, people started noticing his work on Instagram, and a group of 4 friends also joined him. One joined him in the park in litterpicking. From 1, they became a group of 6 people willing to show and make people aware of the condition of their city and what would happen if they didn’t change their habits. They started organising cleanliness and awareness drives in parks, lakes, and riversides on a weekly basis. They did plogging and tried to make people aware of why cleanliness is important and also the harmful effects of throwing garbage in the open and how it can cause various diseases and affect other life forms.

On a Sunday morning, while the group were cleaning the lakeside, an old couple, both near the age of 60, who came there for morning walks, noticed them and asked who they were and what they were trying to do. Listening to Shiva’s story, they were inspired to see the love and perspective of the young man for his city. It almost brought a tear to their eyes. After picking up litter and placing it in the dustbin. The couple invited them for a cup of tea. They stopped at a tea stall nearby and ordered masala chai.

With a sip of the refreshing masala tea, the old couple introduced themselves as Rajesh and Savita. Rajesh was a retired professor of physics, while Savita was a housemaker, but in her free time, she helped Rajesh in an NGO that works for economically weak women in developing skills so that they could earn their living. Shiva asked them, “Don’t you have any children?” to which Savita replied, “They had a son whom they lost in the pandemic. He was a doctor and a social worker. Passionate, enthusiastic and kind.” This brought a moment of silence in the group. Seeing this, Rajesh broke the silence and said, “You see those buildings on the other side of the Taal? 40 years ago, there was just water, trees, and wildlife. This place where we are sitting was an isolated area, and no one dared to come here after dark. Now it’s just people, the loud honking noises of their cars and bikes, and the litter you pick up.

Rajesh asked, “So how are you planning to change this city?” to which they all replied that they have a future plan to build an organisation that can work with local authorities to educate and change people’s mindsets and move towards sustainable development. Taking a deep breath, Rajesh said that the first thing we should learn is, quoting Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Shiva was quite impressed by his words and asked him, “Sir, you’ve spent your lifetime in this city; what was the city like in your times?” Savita interrupted and suggested that if you all have time, we could move this conversation to our home over a healthy breakfast. As it was Sunday and the group were free and also excited to hear about their city so they could know things better, they agreed.

On the way home, Rajesh said that in his childhood, around 1974, “the only urban area, or say, the main market was just Golghar; the rest were all rural areas. We didn’t even have toilets at our homes, so we had to go out early in the morning for defecating. It was the Gorakhpur Development Authority and Nagar Nigam that started developing the city… constructing roads with street lights, parks, markets, etc.”

Stuck in traffic, Savita said, “The best thing in our times was that there was no traffic. Mostly there were rickshaw pullers, cycles, and city buses, and only a few people had personal transport. The roads had trees on both sides, so people also walked to their destinations.” After a half-hour drive, they reached home. Rajesh and Savita had a beautiful home with a huge garden area. It seemed like they loved gardening.

As they entered inside, Savita went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast while Shiva, his friends and Rajesh went on with their conversation in the living room. Shiva’s friend Navin asked about what were or are the best places in the city, according to him. Rajesh said, “There are many now, but 30 years before, there were only a few. Like the famous Gorakhnath Temple, which serves as a centre for spiritual and cultural activities. Famous for the teachings of Guru Gorakhnath, focusing on self-realisation and inner transformation, continue to inspire and guide the followers of the Nath Sampradaya. Its rich history, architectural beauty, and social contributions make it an important cultural and religious landmark in today’s time too.” He said that he also visits the famous Geeta Press once a month, established in 1923, known for its meticulous approach to publishing. The texts go through rigorous scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy and authenticity. The publishing house employs eminent scholars, editors, and proofreaders who meticulously review the manuscripts, making sure that the essence and teachings of the original texts are preserved. He further said that the Vindhyavasini Park was still there and back then  had a variety of plants and flowers, where you could learn so much about gardening. “All the plants you saw outside, I got them from there. But in today’s time, Nauka Vihar is the centre of attraction in the city. It gives you the feel of the Marine Drive of Mumbai. You can also pay a visit to the newly constructed Rajghat and Ramghat beside the Rapti River.” Shiva listed down all the places in his small notebook.

During this time, Savita entered with breakfast, and they all took their seats. Navin immediately went to have a bite, but Savita stopped and urged them to thank and pray for the farmers for providing this food. After the prayer, Shiva asked, “Savita, what do you hope for the future of this city?” Savita had a sip of water and, smiling as always, said, “You see that portrait on the front wall? That’s my son, Ravish. When he was alive, I had higher hopes for working in various sectors of society. But with him gone, I lost my hope.” Shiva said, “It’s very sad to know that, but if you can share with us, maybe we can work together on it?” Savita then further continued that she hopes for a city where people are aware of cleanliness around them and also treat nature with respect. “Development and technology are good for us, but we should not forget our roots. People of this city should know about their rights and duties so they can participate actively in the growth of the city. There should be an area in each part of the city where there should be only trees, which can be called “Lungs of the City”. I know so many women with dreams, but they don’t have any income to support themselves or their family. These people must be provided a platform so that they can develop skills.

Oh! Shiva, I have so many ideas, but if we don’t act on them, then this city will soon become a modern, developed city but also a concrete jungle with landfills, dust in the air, and diseases due to unhygienic surroundings would be common.”

With her words and breakfast, the group were boosted with confidence and full of energy. Navin asked Rajesh what his biggest concerns about the future of the city are. Rajesh replied, smiling, “This feels like an interview now. Well, my biggest concern is the health of the people. Due to the construction of new buildings, trees are being cut down at a very high rate, and if this continues, there will only be a few trees left within the city. It will become a gas chamber like Delhi, harmful not only for humans but also for animals. Plus, I also worry about the generation spending a lot of time on laptops and mobile phones, sitting and doing no physical activity. This has increased the number of diabetic patients in the city. In our time we walked to places or used cycles, so most of us were fit. I think people should add yoga and meditation to their daily routine.”

Arun, the youngest one in the group, asked in excitement, “What advice would you give to young people of this city to make a difference?”

Rajesh said, “Well, my advice is simple: instead of leaving the city for bigger cities, they should try to work on opportunities, startups, and entrepreneurship in their own city. The youth should give a few hours of their week to community service too, as this will help them to know their citizens better. Many leaders were born like this only in the past.

The most important thing we can do is to engage and educate school and college students about their city’s environment, wetlands, forests, and waste management system through various activities on a constant basis. Practice moral education with school kids. This will for sure bring a slow but still definite change in the city for future generations.”

The clock struck 12 noon when Shiva said, smiling, “It’s getting late now. I think we should stop the interview now.” Rajesh said, “If you have ideas, we can work on it together!” He said that he had  some connections in the local authorities who would love to hear the voice of a youth for the city. They exchanged numbers and shook hands.

Shiva was excited to meet such a couple, as were Rajesh and Savita meeting such a group of people. Days passed, and together they identified the problems, like why people throw waste on streets and empty plots. They also prepared a workshop session on waste segregation. On meeting the authorities, Navin presented the idea that, as few streets and slum areas are too narrow, it was not possible for the garbage van to reach everywhere. So they designed a vehicle the size of an e-rickshaw that operated on electricity with two different containers for dry and wet waste. They also proposed the idea of a Reuse and Recycle Centre in each colony, where residents could place their things that are waste to them but can be reused or recycled by anyone else. The ideas were accepted and implemented. Joining with the local authority, they did campaigns in a number of societies and wards, explaining why waste segregation is important, and distributed dustbins with two different colours for wet and dry waste. Savita and Rajesh also started a workshop on how to make compost from kitchen waste and use it for gardening.

Gradually, many people started joining their organisation, and the workshops started reaching almost all wards of the city. In spare time, Navin and Arun prepared a “90 Minutes to Nature” programme for schools and colleges that included topics about phases of Gorakhpur over the years. This included Gorkhpur’s rich history, how climate change and global warming are affecting their biodiversity, the importance of waste management, information about wetlands, rivers and forests in the city, and teaching circular economy with 7R’s: Repair, Reuse, Reduce, Refuse, Recycle, Recover, and Regift through fun and creative activities. Savita and Shiva, with other team members, also focused on providing employment to the women of the weaker section of society by teaching them stitching and designing cloth bags, which provided them a fixed income. They worked, worked and worked. The cleanup drives, which started a year ago, had started showing few results; the parks had less litter than before. To give an example of what waste can do, they also collaborated with a local artist and produced a portrait of freedom fighters from waste kulhads, a beautiful example of Waste to Wonder. This gained the attention of many others in the city, and from  a team of 8 members, they became 800 over a year. The city was on the path of accepting and practising a sustainable lifestyle.

Year 2023, same day on which Shiva and his friends met Rajesh and Savita: Sitting at the same dining table they had breakfast together, Rajesh raised his glass of water, smiled and said, “Look at the past year and look forward to continuing what we started. Our dream of creating a city that holds on and embraces its roots alongside development looks more possible. The hope we had, that the current and future generations should know their city and its beautiful history, remains  alive and it makes me happy.”

He further quoted, “A great city is made by the great ideas and great acts of its citizens!” They all raised their glasses in unison and smiled. 

About the Author

Sandeep Mishra

A resident of Gorakhpur, Sandeep is currently working as a Social Media Manager for the Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation. Alongside his professional role, he is pursuing his passion for filmmaking, focusing on themes of Sustainable Urban Development.