An Indian woman travelling in China has sparked a conversation online after sharing her thoughts on cleanliness, civic sense and public responsibility. Taking to Instagram, the woman, identified as Srishti, posted a video in which she spoke about how China manages to keep public spaces clean despite its huge population.

An Indian woman said she was amazed to see no litter in crowded public places in China. (Instagram/pahadan_____)
An Indian woman said she was amazed to see no litter in crowded public places in China. (Instagram/pahadan_____)

(Also read: Vlogger confronts man for throwing garbage outside Delhi Metro station: ‘Ye dustbin nahi hai yaar’)

In the video, Srishti said, “Those who say that India has a massive population and that’s why cleanliness isn’t possible there, please, come to China once and see how many people live here. Even then, seeing this level of cleanliness leaves me completely amazed. Forget about litter; you won’t even find a single wrapper lying around.”

She added that people in China are extremely careful about keeping public spaces clean. “Even the smallest of wrappers, these people don’t let them stay. They will search for them, pick them up, and put them in the dustbin. Because here, people strictly follow the rules and maintain such high standards of cleanliness, no matter how crowded a place gets,” she said.

(Also read: Indian man calls out fellow Indians for littering at Kazakhstan airport: ‘Fed up ho gaya hoon’)

‘Cleanliness is personal responsibility’

Srishti further said that the difference lies not only in government action but also in public behaviour. “First of all, people don’t litter at all and properly use the dustbins. On top of that, there are people who are constantly cleaning. Here, people keep everything absolutely clean,” she said in the clip.

The video was shared with the caption, “We blame the government for many things, but how responsible are we? Civic sense is something everyone should know and practice. Cleanliness is not just policy, it is personal responsibility.”

Watch the clip here:

Internet reacts

Reacting to the video, one user wrote, “This is exactly what India needs to learn. We cannot blame the government for everything.” Another said, “Civic sense should be taught from school. Clean cities begin with responsible people.”

A third user commented, “Population is not the problem, mindset is. China is proof that discipline can change everything.” Another Instagram user wrote, “We need stricter fines and better awareness at the same time.”

HT.com has reached out to the user for her comments, and the copy will be updated once her response is received.

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)