The National Service Scheme (NSS) is a Central Sector Scheme of Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. It provides opportunity to the student youth of 11th & 12th Class of schools at +2 Board level and student youth of Technical Institution, Graduate & Post Graduate at colleges and University level of India to take part in various government led community service activities & programmes. The sole aim of the NSS is to provide hands on experience to young students in delivering community service.
The Namkeen kurkure industry selling cheap stuff in plastic is partly the culprit along with careless users and utter lack of education about cleanliness
The trouble is the authorities have miserably failed to make this a people’s movement. It has all been left to government departments and NGOs, some good but some clearly bogus groups squeezing grants from the corrupt government machinery. What remains today is essentially a bureaucratic exercise.
Little is being done in terms of prevention. Much of the garbage generation is built into the system. The Namkeen kurkure industry selling cheap stuff in plastic is partly the culprit along with careless users and utter lack of education about cleanliness. The railways are among the biggest culprits. There is no education of rail travelers who merrily throw eatables and plastic thalis out of the window spreading garbage all over the country.
Last week, the Bandra west bus station was very dirty with cess pools formed after the rains and people waiting in long queues amidst the stench and mosquito breeding filth. When I enquired why the situation was so bad in this former queen of suburbs, a BEST staffer said the contract for cleaning had been terminated for some reason and for more than one week no cleaning was done. The contract system is playing havoc everywhere. It is a major source of corruption. Corporators, politicians and corrupt bureaucrats are becoming richer while the city is becoming less and less livable.
