Before & After pics: Puttaparthi Clean India (Swachh Bharat) activity on Chitravathi riverbed

Last updated on 9th Feb. 2019

Note: I added this post to this spiritual blog as I felt some Sathya Sai devotees would like to read this post.

Day-before-yesterday (15th Nov.) my municipal councillor told me about a Swachh Bharat (Clean India) activity, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swachh_Bharat_Abhiyan, scheduled for yesterday morning around 10 AM at Chitravathi riverbed, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitravathi_River. I thought it would be a small affair. But when I went there yesterday morning I was surprised to see a large amount of people as well as earth mover machines in action. Lots of govt. & local administration officials & representatives as well as a large police contingent were present.

I was very happy to see school boys, young girls perhaps school girls, citizen groups and even policemen participate in the cleanup activity. It gave a sense of oneness to Puttaparthi town (outside-ashram). While I did not participate in the cleanup myself I thought I could contribute by clicking some photographs, which have been put up here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/+RaviSIyerSai/albums/6082219311016853473.

[9th Feb. 2019: Google Photos link of above album:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/YKSaBNvp9yRMnsft8.]

Today (17th Nov.) I had a look at the Chitravathi riverbed area that was being cleaned up yesterday and was very pleasantly surprised to see a dramatically cleaner Chitravathi riverbed. To see how it looks today, please see pics here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/+RaviSIyerSai/albums/6082619342658290449.

[9th Feb. 2019: Google Photos link of above album:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/kqsceY9XPMQANafL6.]

Of course, the earth mover machines would have done the major part of the work in this wonderful cleanup activity. But what the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan has done is that it has given an opportunity for school children, interested citizens and even policemen to participate in the activity. Even I who only took pics feel that I am a small participant in the activity and so it is, in a sense, my activity. If I feel that way just imagine how schoolchildren who participated in the activity would feel - they would be really happy & proud to see this dramatically cleaner Chitravathi river bed. Citizens & policemen who participated would also feel happy like me.

Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi and his team, as well as the leaders of the state and municipal authorities who got involved in this activity, deserve hearty congratulations for this Swacch Bharat initiative they have taken. I pray to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba that the Swachh Bharat initiative in Puttaparthi continues in this healthy way leading to a much cleaner Puttaparthi.

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A USA based correspondent, Chandu Patel, commented on the After pics Google+ post:

Looks cleaner! Ravi, indeed your contribution (as the unofficial photographer) is also there. I want to share that, Deloitte (the company where I work) organizes annual one-day event to do charitable work (including cleanup drive), where all employees are expected to participate (and the day is counted towards a work-day, and not a time-off or leave day). I remember, one member in each of these teams, who performs unit of the charitable work, is assigned the photography task to take picture and share on the company intranet.

I responded:

Interesting info., Chandu. Thanks.