“Your influence will spread throughout Mumbai.”
Kishori Pednekar, Mayor of Mumbai in India, while participating in the ASEZ Crime-Free Street campaign.
People influence one another in their daily lives; our ideology, communication, and actions have influence on our own community and in the world.
The violation of public order is one of the biggest crimes that people face in India. Violation of traffic laws and littering are among the most frequent crimes that affect the daily lives of 1.3 billion people in India.
On January 2 2020, ASEZ university students from Korea and India met the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor of Mumbai to propose a movement for a safe, crime-free, and sustainable city.
Mayor Kishori Pednekar expressed her willingness to participate in the “Crime-Free Street” cleanup which would take place in Dhobi Ghat, Mumbai. She was excited about the vision of making a Clean Mumbai and Beautiful Mumbai. Mayor Pednekar showed her support by signing the ASEZ “Reduce Crime Together” project proposal.
On January 12th, approximately two hundred university student volunteers participated in the cleanup. The senator of Maharashtra state, Mayor Pednekar, and the Assistant Commissioner of G-South Ward Director were present during the activity which caught the attention of local residents and called them to action.
Dhobi Ghat is a historic, public laundromat which has now become a tourist attraction. However, illegal littering has become the norm, therefore, posing an urgent need to bring awareness and change the perception of local residents.
Lee Eun-ji, a volunteer from the University of Seoul, Korea said, “Although the activity was held in a place that is neglected and where people have become oblivious to the issue, it was impressive to see how the residents showed much interest in our cleanup. I felt that these necessary activities were performed where it was needed the most.”
Sharad Ughade, BMC, Assistant Commissioner of G-South Ward Director, requested ASEZ to collaborate with the City of Mumbai to develop a cleaner city. Encouraging the volunteers to continue their efforts in raising awareness for the local residents who are not accustomed to the practices of crime-reduction and maintaining a clean environment, he asserted, “The influence of ASEZ might not show right away, but it will definitely bring a change to the community.”
Mayor Pednekar awarded the Certificate of Appreciation to ASEZ, anticipating that they will continue to spread a positive influence throughout Mumbai. She declared that today’s movement will be the start of a beneficial impact in the community, emphasizing that change “starts from our home and begins in our city.”
