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Journalism of Courage
Amid the ongoing waste management and civic responsibility debate, a British travel vlogger has caught the Internet’s attention. Alex Wanders recently questioned India’s tourism plan, highlighting littered streets in West Bengal.
Wanders, who was travelling between Darjeeling and Kalimpong, had stopped at a scenic spot known as Lovers’ Viewpoint, named after the confluence of two rivers that meet but don’t immediately mix, creating a breathtaking tourist sight. However, the spot was tainted by heaps of trash scattered across the area.
Sharing his frustration, he said, “It just frustrates me because I keep hearing in my comments, in my DMs, ‘Come to the mountains in India. It’s where you’re going to find the true beauty.’ But it’s the same here. It’s the same treatment of the land. I guess at this point, maybe there’s no hope.”
He went on and described the location and its sad state, saying, “I am currently travelling between Darjeeling and Kalimpong here in West Bengal in Northern India. Another interesting thing about this place is, of course, we’re in India – and where there are many people, a viewpoint, a popular attraction – there’s also going to be trash mindlessly thrown.”
Walking through the area, he pointed to piles of garbage scattered just a few feet away from dustbins, criticising the carelessness with which tourists discard waste. “I guarantee you there’s going to be a bin somewhere super close. Bin, viewpoint. Let’s just throw it. Who cares about nature, the planet, the environment?” he said.
Wanders also questioned domestic tourists, saying, “You’re only trashing your own country because there are no international tourists here. Yeah, beautiful viewpoint, but of course, always spoilt. Here we go.”
Watch the video here:
The video sparked a discussion, with several users slamming irresponsible tourists. “That is sad indeed! The nature looks very beautiful, hope the trash throwing mindset can be changed. Thanks for raising awareness around this!” a user wrote. “Keep posting good and bad thing about india until we people understand these things are not acceptable,” another user commented.
“They won’t even use a bin if available. We’re our own enemies,” a third user reacted.
