“Ek Din, Ek Gully”: Serbian Volunteer’s Street-Cleaning Drive Sparks Civic Reflection in India
A Serbian National has been cleaning up the cleanliness narrative of Gurugram; a one-man initiative that has been met with mostly admiration and some introspection across India.
Incorporating Swachh Bharat into personal lives, 32-year-old Lazar Jankovic from Serbia and currently living in Sector 55, Gurugram, cleans one street each day-“gully” in his initiative “Ek Din, Ek Gully” (One Day, One Street). This pre-Independence Day mission requires cleaning up overlooked corners and sweeps dirt, often making heads turn and appealing to onlookers to join in. His efforts have been extensively captured in videos doing the rounds on social media.
In One Viral Clip – he confronts a month old pile-of-trash, clearing under 20 seconds, sparking debate on public apathy. When asked about it, he says “As long as it’s outside my house, it’s not my problem,” urging people to take responsibility.
Enthusiastic praise for his dedication to collective shame by many that depicted “a foreigner doing what many locals ignore.” One user had it best saying, “It is a wake-up call when a guest cares for our home more than we do.”