'Floors abroad are clean, why not here?': 88-year-old retired DIG Inderjit Singh Sidhu cleans Chandigarh streets every morning; civic pride drives his mission
Every morning, at precisely 6 am, as the city of Chandigarh stirs awake, Sidhu is already out on the streets of Sector 49.
Armed not with rank or authority, but with a humble cycle cart and a resolute sense of civic duty, he begins his day by picking up garbage strewn along the roadside.
'I like a clean place, so I try to clean,' he says simply. 'It will be good if the parking at this market area is clean. If you visit any foreign country and look at their floors, they are generally very clean, but this is not the case in India. In the competition for cleanliness across India, Chandigarh has ranked second. Chandigarh is famous for its cleanliness and beauty'
His words reflect not frustration, but quiet determination.
Though Chandigarh missed the top spot in the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 under the "Super Swachh League" category for cities with populations between 3 and 10 lakh, Inderjit Singh Sidhu chose not to dwell on rankings. Instead, he responded the only way he knew, with action.
At the New Delhi award ceremony, Noida claimed first place, with Chandigarh and Mysuru followed second and third place.
(With agency inputs)
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