Kota Youth Turn Polluted Lakes Clean in 75 Community Drives

When Gulshan Manwani and his wife took an evening stroll along Kota Barrage in 2023, they couldn't unsee the heaps of garbage choking the beautiful dam area. Instead of just feeling upset, they decided to do something about it.

The couple posted a simple invitation on their private Instagram page, asking if anyone wanted to join them for a cleanup. Four people responded. That small beginning sparked what would become Kota Community, now one of the city's most active grassroots movements.

Every Sunday, volunteers snap on gloves and head to different spots around the city. Some kneel at lake edges, scooping out layers of soggy plastic. Others lower wide nets into murky water, pulling them back heavy with bottles, wrappers, and debris like they're fishing for waste instead of fish.

The group has grown from that initial handful to a network of students and working professionals who've completed 75 cleanup drives across 30 temples and 45 public spaces. Their motto, "Pehal Ek Kadam" (the first step), reflects their belief that every big change starts with one small action.

Manwani, who moved to Kota from the smaller city of Banswara in 2020, noticed the movement needed to go beyond just markets and neighborhoods. "We realized that organizing these drives should not be limited to markets and colonies, so we shifted to holy places like temples, where litter today is more," he explains.

The group now coordinates with municipal authorities to ensure collected waste gets properly disposed of and composted. This partnership means their Sunday efforts lead to lasting results, not just temporary tidiness.

The Ripple Effect

When volunteers scrub ancient stepwell stairs or haul dripping nets from lakes, they're doing more than removing trash. They're showing fellow residents what's possible when people choose action over waiting for someone else to fix things.

Public spaces that had been surrendered to neglect are being reclaimed, corner by corner. The sight of young people giving up their Sunday mornings to clean shared spaces quietly reshapes how communities think about their responsibility to these places.

This kind of movement can take root anywhere. It doesn't require special funding or government approval to start. It just needs people who care enough to take that first step, gloves in hand.