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Journalism of Courage
Akie Doi, a 38-year-old Japanese woman, visited Odisha for the first time in 2022 and fell in love with Puri. She returned to the city and is now on a mission to make it garbage-free. A music and yoga instructor, Doi is determined to become a one-woman clean-up force in Odisha; she heads up to the Puri beach every morning to clean it, urging tourists to use dustbins.
In a viral post, Doi can be seen carrying a banner with Lord Jagannath’s image and a message on cleanliness. She quickly gained the attention of hoteliers, tourists, and local authorities, following which the India-Japan Friendship Centre provided her gloves and garbage bags, the Times of India reported.
“I simply love doing it. While the administration has hired cleaners who help keep the beach tidy, I am doing my part to maintain our environment. I urge beachgoers to use the provided dustbins,” Doi told the newspaper.
Srimanta Kumar Dash, president of the India-Japan Friendship Centre, said, “She diligently collects plastic bottles, food wrappers, and other debris left by some visitors. Recently, several other Japanese tourists have joined her in this initiative.”
The report said that Doi speaks basic English and uses gestures to communicate with people, demonstrating how to use dustbins. In one of the viral footage, Doi can be seen picking trash from the roadside.
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The video amassed numerous reactions, evoking a conversation on the lack of civic sense in India. “When you lack civic sense, you end up losing self respect,” an Instagram user wrote. “What a shame, when will Indians finally have some civic sense,” another user commented.
“India will always be developing until citizens have basic civic sense!” a third user reacted.
