An Abu Dhabi-based Non-Resident Indian (NRI) is on the aim to disseminate the message of cleanliness in India by traveling across 310 cities in the country.
Sangeetha Sridhar, 51, set out from Mumbai to travel on August 12 to execute spot checks of flagship government schemes such as Make In India, Swachh Bharat, and the NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) Bharat Mala.
Until Monday, Sangeetha had traveled 20,000 kilometers and 100 cities.
“My experience has been great so far. There was no ‘MeToo Moment’ for me anywhere. I feel India is one of the best and safest countries to explore. Where ever I went in my SUV, I got all possible help from locals,” she told HT.
Carrying out scrutinizes of public toilets along her travel path, Sangeetha said she found that cleanliness levels had gone up throughout the country.
“Today, especially in rural areas, toilets are a symbol of respect for families.I also saw that the distance between the two toilets has reduced. However, there’s still a lot of work to be done. Just constructing toilets is not enough. They have to be maintained too. It is another challenge in which the government has a role to play,” she said, adding that she was using only public toilets throughout her tour.
“This tour is my tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and his idea of a Swachh Bharat. I will hand over my findings to the ministry of tourism, the Swachh Bharat Mission and the United Nations Sustainable Development Board,” said Sangeetha.
She said she covered around 310km every day. “As I move from place to place, I interact with locals and try and learn about their traditions and customs. It also gives me the opportunity to make them aware about the importance of cleanliness,” she added.
Car to a Mini Home
To make herself casual throughout her months of travel, Sangeetha transformed the Tata Hexa that she is traveling in into a mini home. “I removed two rows of seats to add compartments inside the car. There are solar panels to generate electricity. I have a fan, a light, and a power point to charge electronic devices like my cell phone and camera,” she said.
“Before starting out, I took a loan of Rs 5 lakh from Tata Motors to meet the fuel expenses. However, this Hexa will have to be returned once my extensive travel wraps up, which should be sometime in February, next year,” she said.
Though Sangeetha has managed to make her car comfortable, she still misses home and her family.
“My son, Aswath, is pursuing an engineering degree in robotics from the United States, and my husband, Shridhar, is in Abu Dhabi. So, yes, I miss my family. But they are in touch with me daily and keep tracking my movement through a mobile app,” she said.
Her well-being was a huge concern for her family during the beginning days of travel.
“At first, my husband and son were very concerned about my safety. However, now that I have traveled for over two months without any hassle, they have developed confidence,” she said, adding that her journey was as well about telling people that India was a safe country for women to take on solo travel.
“It (India) is also cleaner than before. My family misses me, but they understand the role that I am playing in spreading the message of cleanliness and generating awareness on the issue,” she said.
-Sowmya Sangam
