Clean roads, open and fresh surroundings, and greenery all around are things every citizen appreciates. Yet very few people take responsibility for maintaining cleanliness. Most people discuss problems, but only a handful step onto the ground to work on solutions.
One such inspiring example has been set by Harinder Pal Singh Lamba, a resident of Patiala. With the aim of restoring the city’s beauty and making it cleaner and less polluted, he started a citizen-participation cleanliness campaign called ‘Mera Patiala Main Hi Sawaran’ — I Will Beautify My Patiala Myself.
A Citizens’ Initiative
The campaign, launched to give the city a cleaner and better appearance, is gradually turning into a people’s movement. Citizens from all sections of society are voluntarily joining the initiative. Explaining how it works, Harinder Pal Singh said it is a special effort started by the citizens themselves.
Respected members of the community, including army personnel, teachers, traders, lawyers, doctors and students, have joined the platform. Every Saturday and Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., they come together and select a particular area of the city.
The team not only cleans the chosen location but also works to beautify it. With the cooperation of the municipal corporation, plastic waste and other garbage are removed from the area.
The Unwavering Spirit of Former Soldiers
Retired military officers who once guarded the country’s borders are also playing an important role in the campaign. Their spirit of public service remains as strong as ever. Captain Sukhjit, a retired Indian Army officer, has been regularly associated with the team and continues to contribute to its cleanliness activities.
Sharing his experience, Captain Sukhjit said that he is a resident of Patiala. He first came to know about ‘Mera Patiala Main Hi Sawaran’ in September through his friend, Colonel Salwan. Since then, he has participated in cleanliness drives in different parts of the city every Saturday and Sunday.
A Growing Force of More Than 300 Volunteers
Every major change begins with an idea. The desire to see Patiala clean and beautiful took concrete shape through social media. Speaking about the early days of the campaign, Sardar Harinder Pal Singh Lamba said that the idea of working for cleanliness had been in his mind for a long time.
Around September 13 last year, residents were invited through Facebook and Instagram to come together for the cause. The first drive was launched from Polo Ground on September 20, 2025, with around 25 participants.
Today, more than 300 volunteers are associated with the campaign. According to Lamba, the enthusiasm of many citizens who joined the initiative is now even greater than his own.
Age Does Not Matter, Passion Does
There is no age limit for participating in this cleanliness campaign. Even elderly citizens step onto the streets and work with complete dedication, setting an inspiring example for younger generations.
One senior volunteer said that he is more than 78-and-a-half years old. One day, a member of his family encouraged him to attend the campaign. Since then, he has not been able to stay away from it.
Despite physical discomfort and back pain, he says he has not missed a single day because of his strong desire and passion to contribute something meaningful to his city.
An Effort to Change Habits
In society, the administration is often blamed for every problem. But the team believes that keeping a city clean cannot be the responsibility of the government alone. Citizens also need to change their habits and learn to dispose of waste properly. Discussing social attitudes, Harinder Pal said that the entire responsibility cannot be placed on the municipal corporation or administration because they also have many other duties.
According to him, people in commercial areas have still not developed the habit of using dustbins, while waste is also not properly segregated in many households. This increases the burden on landfill sites. He emphasised that shopkeepers and ordinary citizens should be encouraged to put waste in bins and segregate it properly.
He said that just as people avoid littering in places such as Indore or Singapore, partly because of strict enforcement and penalties, similar awareness and discipline are needed here as well. He also cited the example of Japan, where children are taught from their first days in school to clean their own desks and classrooms.
The team’s larger objective is to transform garbage-dumping spots so beautifully that people themselves hesitate before throwing waste there again.
Civic Duty and an Appeal to Citizens
Keeping a city clean is a continuous process. However, volunteers often find that places cleaned one morning are littered again the very next day.
To overcome this challenge, the campaign is seeking greater cooperation from the public. Appealing to citizens, Captain Sukhjit said everyone should develop the habit of putting garbage in household dustbins instead of throwing it on the streets, and they should teach the same habit to their children.
He said there are occasions when roads cleaned in the morning are found covered with garbage bags again the following day. According to him, everyone must work together and become a more responsible citizen if lasting change is to be achieved.
A Step Towards a Brighter Future
The selfless effort of the ‘Mera Patiala Main Hi Sawaran’ team is not limited to removing garbage. It is also a larger attempt to revive a sense of civic responsibility and urban culture among residents.
If every citizen of Patiala takes inspiration from these volunteers and resolves to keep their surroundings clean, the city could emerge as a model of cleanliness for the entire state.
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