UTTAR PRADESH: Shachindra Pratap Singh, a senior officer in Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC), is someone who pursues the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ in letter and spirit. He is on a mission to clean up his surroundings and distributes brooms through his ‘Jhaadu Daan’ group. Singh’s motto: If each person keeps at least 10 metres around him or her clean, the world would be a much better place.
After completing BTech from Pant Nagar University, Singh joined the UPSRCT as a manager in 1989. “Life was going on normal, till I listened to the Prime Minister speak,” he says. Then, one incident brought about a life-altering change. During his postings at various locations, part of his responsibility included keeping the office premises and buses under his administration clean.
During a posting in his home town Auraiya, he found a bus littered. “When I asked the driver, he said he did not have a broom in the vehicle. He got no fund to buy one either,” says Singh. The driver’s reply came as an epiphany for Singh. Losing no time, he bought brooms in bulk and distributed them among all the drivers and cleaners attached to the Auraiya depot. He also took up the broom and began cleaning his office premises his own. “Initially, I was scoffed at,” says Singh, adding that even his family ridiculed his efforts.
But such jeering did not shake his resolve; instead, the cleanliness cause turned into an obsession. In 2017, Singh formed a WhatsApp group, Jhaadu Daan, which saw many more people joining in.
When Singh was posted in Agra, he set a target to collect 2,000 brooms to distribute among people. “Initially, I did not realise the reach and impact of social media, but it gave an unexpected impetus to my movement,” Singh explains.
His dogged determination and dedication towards his mission soon drew admiration from the public. His Facebook group started getting overwhelming monetary support not only from friends and acquaintances but also from strangers and benevolent donors from abroad.
While in Agra, Singh managed to distribute over 33,000 brooms. Subsequently, he reset his next target: 1 lakh brooms. Effective use of social media played a key role in the success of ‘Jhaadu Daan’.
His expertise came in handy during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, where he was posted in 2019. The temporary bus shelters erected there bore the group’s distinct mark. The 1 lakh target was achieved in no time. Singh says he has lost count of how many brooms the ‘Jhaadu Daan’ group has distributed till date.
The feat has earned him a place in the India Book of Records. As the country is observing the Swachhata Pakhwada (Cleanliness Fortnight), Singh just earned copious praise from the state’s transport minister Daya Shankar Singh.