In 2016, when Kapil Kumar sat by the Ramganga river in Moradabad, he noticed plastic bags, flowers, clothes and household waste being thrown into the water. He began speaking to visitors about the pollution, but soon realised that conversations alone would not be enough. The riverbank needed regular cleaning, and people needed a reason to change their habits.Nearly a decade later, the mechanical engineer’s efforts have grown into a sustained community campaign. His organisation, Parivartan ‘The Change,’ reports that its Clean Up Ram Ganga Campaign has completed more than 218 clean-up drives, removed over 1.2 lakh kg of waste and involved more than 5,000 people over the years.In a conversation with The Better India Kumar said that the campaign’s work is not limited to collecting garbage. Volunteers also speak to visitors, encourage responsible disposal of religious offerings and try to make local residents feel responsible for the riverbank.
How a teacher’s question changed his approach
Kapil, 35, completed his BTech in mechanical engineering in 2013 and worked in the automobile sector for a year. He later pursued a PGDM and prepared for government examinations, including the UPSC Civil Services Examination.His involvement in social work began in 2016. According to The Better India, during a visit to a government school in Moradabad, he noticed leaking roofs, inadequate washrooms and children without proper furniture. When he questioned the conditions, a teacher challenged him to do more than criticise the system. The teacher also pointed him towards a child with an eye problem. Kumar contacted the chief medical officer and helped the child receive treatment and spectacles.He and his friends founded Parivartan in October 2016. The organisation was registered in July 2017 and initially worked on several social and environmental issues.
From a 2018 campaign to weekly clean-ups
Image courtesy: Instagram/@parivartanthengo
Kumar first noticed the extent of the waste entering the Ramganga during a riverside festival in November 2016. He and his team began speaking to visitors about disposing of plastic and other waste responsibly. They also encouraged people to put flowers and other organic offerings in designated composting pits rather than throwing them into the river.As per the official website of Parivartan, the Clean Up Ram Ganga Campaign was formally launched on April 22, 2018, on Earth Day. Its first phase involved 10 weeks of cleaning near Mokshdham Ramganga Vihar. Volunteers also collected 11,000 signatures through a campaign and undertook a 700-km cycle journey from Moradabad to Varanasi to spread awareness about river conservation.The early efforts, however, did not produce lasting results. Once the volunteers stopped cleaning a stretch, waste gradually returned. The team continued with monthly engagement, festival clean-ups and awareness activities between 2018 and 2020. After public activities were disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic, it began a new phase on June 5, 2021, at Lalbagh Ghat, with weekly Sunday clean-ups.
More than 1.2 lakh kg of waste removed
Image courtesy: Instagram/@parivartanthengo
The campaign’s latest figures, shared by Kumar with The Better India, include more than 218 drives and over 1.2 lakh kg of waste removed. More than 5,000 volunteers have participated over the years.An earlier milestone was independently documented by the India Book of Records. As per its official website, Parivartan had completed 100 weeks of cleaning the Ramganga riverbank on March 10, 2024, after collecting 75,000 kg of trash.A typical Sunday drive collects around 300 to 700 kg of waste, depending on the weather, season and number of visitors. Volunteers focus on plastic and other non-biodegradable material. Flowers and organic offerings are composted, recovered idols are kept out of the river, and other waste is handed over to the municipal corporation for collection and disposal. The team also conducts awareness sessions and encourages visitors to use designated disposal facilities.Parivartan says it has more than 3,000 registered volunteers and six full-time staff members working specifically on the Ramganga campaign. Its SEHYOG initiative collects old newspapers, books, plastic and other recyclable material from households and sells it to authorised scrap dealers. The proceeds help fund the organisation’s work.
Why cleaning the riverbank is not enough
Kumar acknowledges that collecting solid waste addresses only one part of the Ramganga’s pollution problem. Untreated sewage and industrial waste also affect the river. The National Mission for Clean Ganga’s Moradabad District Ganga Plan identifies domestic sewage management, pollution entering the Ramganga through the Dhela river, industrial waste and solid-waste management among the district’s priority concerns.Parivartan says it has submitted a 10-point action agenda and a 200-week campaign booklet to the National Mission for Clean Ganga and the State Mission for Clean Ganga, calling for effective sewage treatment before wastewater enters the river.For Kumar, the campaign’s impact cannot be measured only by the weight of the waste collected. “The greatest achievement has never been the kilograms of waste removed. It has been the change in people’s behaviour,” he said.
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