The Ravi is the heartbeat of Kathua — the river our town grew beside. For too long, though, its banks carried the load of a careless society: plastic bags, bottles, and waste left by the hundreds who visit daily.
Turning a livestream into a movement
What began as a handful of volunteers with sacks along a short stretch has become a recurring, visible movement. On the river’s edge, schoolchildren collect plastic from the sand. Youth clubs build bins and signage. Shopkeepers pledge to stop handing out single-use plastic.
Keeping it going
Cleanliness is not a one-day event. Our drives happen several times a year, always combined with awareness: lessons on segregation at schools, doorstep collection talks, and contests that make cleaning feel like a festival rather than a chore.
The larger mission
Beyond the river, we plant trees along its banks and in school yards, and advocate for clean drinking water in villages. A river that once carried our town’s waste now carries our care — and that is a change I am deeply proud of.
A child carrying a waste bag to a bin with a proud smile — that is the change. Give the next generation the habit, and they will guard the river forever.