THREE years ago a clean sweep campaign was conducted by a group of students from the Department of Psychology, University of Karachi.

These youths took up the task of collecting funds for installing dustbins. Many students took active parts in donating the money and made arrangements for buying and placlng 25 dustbins costing about Rs4,000 each. It was one of the healthy and positive activities held in Karachi University so far.

Extending over hundreds of acres and catering to thousands of students, ironically only a few dustbins could be spotted, and garbage could be witnessed piling up on sidewalks and on university roads. One dustbin was burnt because of cigarettes thrown in them. Some of those which had been broken weren’t fixed yet and some of those are overloaded with garbage.

No one cares to empty them. Instead, people walk by and throw wrappers outside the bins. It creates an unpleasant and unhealthy environment in the university. It also leaves a bad impression on the outsiders.

To start a campaign is not a difficult thing, to maintain the level is important, which the university sometimes fails to do.

A few days ago I was wandering around my university and was saddened to see that people have destroyed all plants grown beside roads by throwing garbage. I was surprised to see that no one really cared about it. Instead of doing something to keep their university clean, they were throwing empty cans and wrappers everywhere.

The administration should monitor the problem and keep checks and balances on it. Every student wants his university to be the best among others. Being a student of Karachi University, I also want my university to be the best of all. I want to convey my message not only to the administration but also to students. Please, take care of your university and don’t throw garbage.

Shumaila Binte Saif

Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2015

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