The activity brought together Foundation members and volunteers for a direct environmental initiative aimed at cleaning the riverbank and spreading awareness about responsible waste disposal. The Foundation's President and Joint Secretary also participated alongside the volunteers.
Working across the riverbank, the HCF team removed accumulated garbage and waste that had gathered along the water's edge. During the activity, more than 5 quintals — approximately 500+ kilograms — of waste was collected. After collection, the waste was handed over or sent for appropriate disposal through the Nagar Nigam / Municipal Corporation.
Cleaning the bank, and changing habits
The initiative was not limited to physical cleaning. HCF volunteers also interacted with people present around the riverbank and encouraged them to keep the River Ganga clean. People were requested not to throw plastic, general waste, discarded materials, flowers, puja materials and other religious offerings directly into the river.
“If we regard the Ganga as Maa, our respect should also be reflected in the way we protect and care for the river.”
That message sat at the heart of the day's awareness effort. For a river woven so deeply into daily life and faith in Patna, care cannot be an occasional gesture — it has to show in everyday choices about what ends up in the water.
Why one drive is not enough
River conservation cannot depend only on occasional clean-up drives. A single day of collection makes a visible difference, but the waste returns unless everyday behaviour changes too. Responsible disposal at home, at ghats and at gatherings — keeping plastic and offerings out of the water — is just as important as the clean-up itself.
That is why Harit Chetna Foundation approached the day as both a clean-up and a conversation: clearing what had gathered on the bank, and asking the people who use the riverside every day to help keep it that way.
