Foreign Tourist Cleans Up Trash at Himachal Waterfall, Sparks Debate on Civic Sense

A viral video of a foreign tourist picking up trash left by Indian visitors at a Himachal Pradesh waterfall has ignited a discussion on civic responsibility. The video, shared on X, has garnered millions of views and sparked outrage among netizens.

A new discussion on civic duty in India has been sparked by a video that went viral showing a foreign visitor picking up trash from near a waterfall in Himachal Pradesh. The video, which was posted on X, shows a foreigner collecting plastic wrappers and other trash from a picturesque area in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. The trash was likely put there by Indian visitors. 

"Maybe if I have a free day, I will sit and tell people, 'Pick this up'. I have no problem telling people," he says in the video. The clip was shared on the microblogging site by user Nikhil Saini.

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The video was posted on social media and was captioned: “Shameful a foreign tourist is more concerned about nature's beauty while local tourists keep shamelessly littering such stunning places. No govt or administration is to be blamed - it's the people who need to change if we ever want a clean country. Video from Kangra, Himachal.”

Over 4.4 million people have viewed the video. Many people have expressed their anger with domestic visitors' lack of civic responsibility, which has sparked a surge of reactions.

Netizens React To Video: 

“It’s all about mindset,” a user stated. “A lot of people believe that the government is responsible for maintaining cleanliness, but that is only partially the case. That duty is shared by all citizens,” another added.

Others discussed how attitudes are shaped by early habits: “I have witnessed parents instructing their children to dispose of trash in the car. We have no civic sensibility at all.”

Several others thought it was quite humiliating that a foreigner had to set the example, even if the tourist's basic gesture of picking up rubbish was commended.

One user commented, "No amount of governance or regulations can keep our nation clean until people change their mindset." Another said, “No wonder the world considers us uncouth while we falsely claim to be Vishwaguru.”