Latest news with #Jankovic
Time of India
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Time of India
Serb picks up broom & bucket for a clean sweep of streets from Bengaluru to Gurgaon
PUNE: A lone cow stares at a tall man in shorts and dusty sneakers dragging a stick broom across a litter-strewn lane in Gurgaon's Sector 55 in a video. Passersby smirk, some laugh, some tell him to stop wasting his time, while one or two join him. "India ko saaf rakhna hai," he calls out in accented Hindi, sweeping food packets, plastic cups, and other litter into a bucket. Lazar Jankovic, a 32-year-old Serb, arrived in India in 2018 on a modelling contract but stayed for love of the country and his Sikkimese fiancee. Its beauty and culture drew him in, but the indifference to garbage unsettled him. He then picked up a broom and a bucket and began cleaning up roads. He started 'Ek Din Ek Gully', an initiative where he collects garbage scattered across roads and urges passersby to follow better civic sense. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Gold Rates Today in Pune | Silver Rates Today in Pune Jankovic graduated from The Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies in Belgrade-Zemun, and prepared for a decade to work in forensics, alongside years of training in kickboxing and Krav Maga. He decided to impulsively take up a last-minute modelling assignment that brought him to Bengaluru in 2018. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brother Donates Kidney To Save Sister's Life. One Year Later, He Says, I Wish I Never Did It, When This Happens Daily Sport X Undo "Even as a child, I wanted to visit India, but never got the chance. I accompanied my friend for an audition in Serbia where the casting director offered me an assignment, and I jumped at the opportunity to come to India. My friends and family were shocked by my decision, but my mother was supportive," Jankovic said. He found India beautiful and the culture amazing, but littering and litterbugs bothered him. "I was shocked to see well-to-do residents stepping over piles of waste to get into their cars. I thought if nobody was going to act, I should," Jankovic added. In Bengaluru, he shifted homes four times, and cleaned up the surroundings everywhere he lived. He didn't make any videos then but started recording last year. "I didn't get much traction. I then learned how to post on social media and the videos now reach larger audiences. Some videos of me cleaning up a lane near my place in Gurgaon started trending. I have received hundreds of calls and messages from people who want to volunteer," Jankovic said. He also carried out self-funded cleanups in every city he visited in India, from Bengaluru to across Tamil Nadu, and the ghats of Rishikesh. But he reserves his praise for Sikkim for its people's attitude towards cleanliness. "The rest of India must learn from them," Jankovic said. His street work hasn't always been met with enthusiasm. "The only support I got during my first cleanup was from a cow who followed me around. Locals laughed at me. I couldn't converse with them, so I learnt Hindi through Kishore Kumar songs and Shah Rukh Khan movies," Jankovic said. In some videos, he is seen urging civic sense to people in Tamil. He is pushing for practical measures like designated dumping spots on every street to make waste collection easier. "My motto is to take charge of just two metres outside your own homes. If residents from every building kept their immediate area clean, it would change everything," he said. Earlier in August, Jankovic cleaned the premises of a temple in Gurgaon and spoke to the priests about using waste bins. "Volunteers joined the drive, we collected four-five bags of waste. A person stepped up and called a tractor to take it to the dumping ground and even instructed the driver not to dump it anywhere else," Jankovic said. In September, he will be in Mumbai and Pune to organise cleanup drives. He will visit Indore later to learn from their waste-management system. Jankovic is keen on yoga and is pursuing a certification. "Yoga is a discipline. So is civic responsibility. Both are about respect for your body and your surroundings," he added. He is clear that he is in India for the long haul. "I love this country. I'm going to marry into it. Throughout history, people have come here to take something away. It's time to give back," he said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
One gully a day: Serbian man takes up Gurgaon's cleanup cause
Gurgaon: A city, known for its gleaming skyscrapers and bustling malls, hides a less glamorous reality beneath its polished exterior. Open drains, heaps of plastic waste, and littered streets paint a stark contrast to this modern facade. While authorities drag their feet, 32-year-old Lazar Jankovic, a Serbian national staying in Sector 55, has taken it upon himself to clean the city — one gully at a time. Jankovic's journey to India began in 2018 with a modelling contract. He spent six years in Bengaluru, before moving to Gurgaon in 2024. The inspiration for his clean-up drive was the result of self-realisation. "I saw how beautiful this place is and how polluted it is at the same time. What bothered me is that everybody's pretending it's not there." This led to the birth of 'Ek Din–Ek Gully' — one day, one street. You Can Also Check: Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon | Gold Rates Today in Gurgaon | Silver Rates Today in Gurgaon Jankovic leads a minimalist life, dedicating his days to yoga and cleaning. Equipped with a rake, gumboots, and trash bags, he tackles at least one park, road, or open space daily, often working alone. He refuses any payment, instead urging, "contribute by cleaning, not by giving me money."His efforts have sparked small ripples of change. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kasaragod Users Prefers Toothsi Aligners Toothsi by MakeO Book Now Undo In Sector 55, residents have formed WhatsApp groups to organise community clean-ups. The garbage he collects or cleans daily ranges from gutka spit and food wrappers to medical syringes and soiled diapers. "It makes me literally puke," he admits. Jankovic's mission extends beyond Gurgaon. In Vellingiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, he cleaned 200kg of garbage near the temple base before trekking six hours to the summit. In Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, he cleared cigarette butts, gutka packets, and syringes from the Ganga ghats during evening aarti, covering nearly a kilometre with help from his girlfriend while curious onlookers watched. Not everyone welcomes his work. Some have asked him to delete videos, fearing they might offend authorities."I really don't care. I'm not here to play politics. I'm just doing what anyone should," he says. Despite this, his work has gained traction online. In just four days, he has amassed over 12,000 followers on X, with messages thanking him for doing what many had given up on. Jankovic, who plans to marry his girlfriend from Sikkim and make India his permanent home, rejects the idea of being called a hero. For him, daily clean-ups are a civic duty. "Stop asking me why I'm cleaning," he says. "Start asking yourself — why aren't you?" Online, his videos have sparked both praise and uncomfortable self-reflection. "Once again we're letting ourselves be taught how to live a decent life by a foreigner. Can we not stop littering? It doesn't take that much effort," wrote Prasanna. Some dubbed it a wake-up call. "When outsiders step up for our streets, it's inspiring… yet it should make us ask: What are we doing for our own home?" tweeted Gadhia. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Local France
14-02-2025
- Business
- Local France
European airport passenger traffic tops pre-Covid level
Passenger traffic reached 2.5 billion in 2024, up 7.4 percent from the previous year, according to provisional figures from Airports Council International (ACI) Europe. That total was 1.8 percent above 2019 levels, said the trade group, which represents more than 600 airports in 55 countries from western Europe to Israel and Central Asia. Growth was mostly driven by international passenger traffic, which rose 8.8 percent, while the number of domestic travellers was up 2.5 percent from the previous year and remained below pre-pandemic levels. "Europe's airports welcomed an additional 200 million passengers last year, with many surpassing their previous historic records," said ACI Europe director general Olivier Jankovec. "This was achieved despite much inflated air fares, continued supply pressures, mostly tepid economic growth and geopolitical tensions," he added. He noted, however, that nearly half of Europe's airports remained below their pre-Covid traffic levels in 2024. "We are now in a multi-speed European airport market where competitive pressures just keep rising," Jankovic said. The association is forecasting a four-percent rise in passenger traffic this year, he said, but warned that it would have to keep it "under review, considering the overwhelming global political and economic uncertainties".
Local Italy
14-02-2025
- Business
- Local Italy
European airport passenger traffic tops pre-Covid level
Passenger traffic reached 2.5 billion in 2024, up 7.4 percent from the previous year, according to provisional figures from Airports Council International (ACI) Europe. That total was 1.8 percent above 2019 levels, said the trade group, which represents more than 600 airports in 55 countries from western Europe to Israel and Central Asia. Growth was mostly driven by international passenger traffic, which rose 8.8 percent, while the number of domestic travellers was up 2.5 percent from the previous year and remained below pre-pandemic levels. "Europe's airports welcomed an additional 200 million passengers last year, with many surpassing their previous historic records," said ACI Europe director general Olivier Jankovec. "This was achieved despite much inflated air fares, continued supply pressures, mostly tepid economic growth and geopolitical tensions," he added. He noted, however, that nearly half of Europe's airports remained below their pre-Covid traffic levels in 2024. "We are now in a multi-speed European airport market where competitive pressures just keep rising," Jankovic said. The association is forecasting a four-percent rise in passenger traffic this year, he said, but warned that it would have to keep it "under review, considering the overwhelming global political and economic uncertainties".
Local Spain
14-02-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
European airport passenger traffic tops pre-Covid level
Passenger traffic reached 2.5 billion in 2024, up 7.4 percent from the previous year, according to provisional figures from Airports Council International (ACI) Europe. That total was 1.8 percent above 2019 levels, said the trade group, which represents more than 600 airports in 55 countries from western Europe to Israel and Central Asia. Growth was mostly driven by international passenger traffic, which rose 8.8 percent, while the number of domestic travellers was up 2.5 percent from the previous year and remained below pre-pandemic levels. "Europe's airports welcomed an additional 200 million passengers last year, with many surpassing their previous historic records," said ACI Europe director general Olivier Jankovec. "This was achieved despite much inflated air fares, continued supply pressures, mostly tepid economic growth and geopolitical tensions," he added. He noted, however, that nearly half of Europe's airports remained below their pre-Covid traffic levels in 2024. "We are now in a multi-speed European airport market where competitive pressures just keep rising," Jankovic said. The association is forecasting a four-percent rise in passenger traffic this year, he said, but warned that it would have to keep it "under review, considering the overwhelming global political and economic uncertainties".
