Jharkhand’s Jitendra Mahto has been engaged with the task of maintaining cleanliness on Nandan mountain for five years. He is not employed by the government to carry out these duties, but he is a responsible member of his community. He makes an appeal to the workers and the tourists to keep the mountain areas clean.
Ranchi: The incredible Dashrath Manjhi constructed a road connecting to the cities by breaking the mountains himself. He made the impossible happen and achieved something that is unimaginable for any ordinary person. Here is another story of an equally incredible man, Jitendra Mahto, who cleaned the Nandan mountain despite suffering from injuries. He began with his work before the pandemic and continued during the lockdown too. It has been five years since he began with the task of keeping the mountains clean.
Who is Jitendra Mahto?
Jitendra Mahto is a fourth-class employee in Jharkhand government. Nandan mountain is two kilometres away from his residence. He liked spending time in the lap of nature and so he would go roaming along the mountain roads to get fresh air. One day, his son, Sanjay Kumar accompanied him on his morning walk.
While coming down from the mountain, Sanjay got himself injured when a glass shard pierced his leg. His injury was treated but the father-son wondered where the glass had come from. Jitendra asked his son to rest and got a broom and started cleaning the mountain on his own. He did the task for a few consecutive days. After that a worker at the park situated on Nandan mountain requested him to clean the park as well. Jitendra joyfully carried the responsibility.
DIY dustbins
Jitendra collected all the glass shards from the mountains and got creative. In an attempt to keep the mountains clean, he turned the glass into powder and added sand and cement to it. He used the mixture to make 20 dustbins out it. 10 dustbins were placed inside the park and the other ten were placed all over the mountain.
Jitendra made an appeal to the workers to make sure to spread an awareness to the visitors about not using glass or plastic items as they cause serious hazards to nature. Unfortunately, his appeals were not paid attention to.
The challenges
Jitendra recalls that whenever he had spare time, he would visit the park to clean it. He improvised by collecting pieces of glass and disposed them in the same dustbins that he had made. Despite facing unwanted intervention from people while cleaning, he remained dedicated to his work.
Discouragement from people
Normally, the government appoints employees to maintain the cleanliness on mountains. But the manager responsible for the task did not carry out his responsibilities well. In the beginning, Jitendra Mahto suggested to the employees that if they collaborated, they could clean the mountain more efficiently. However, the employees poked fun at him and prevented him from ordering them around. Despite this, Jitendra remained committed to his work. After an incident when he was insulted by the park manager, he began planting tress on the mountain.
Permissions from senior officers
On a particular day, the park manager denied Jitendra Mahto the opportunity of cleaning and insisted that he needed permission from senior officers to clean the park. He was humiliated but still he persevered. He approached the officers, but they continued to create obstacles for him for the next six months. Eventually, he shared his concerns with a senior district-level officer, who granted permission for the cleaning project. After receiving the approval, Jitendra wholeheartedly dedicated himself to the task of cleaning Nandan mountain.
Jitendra’s daily life
Jitendra does the task of cleaning Nandan mountain during his holidays and free time. He believes that planting a tree is as significant as marrying off a daughter. His thinking emphasizes the importance of contributing to the society. He has personal commitments but despite everything, he realizes the need to do something for the community. During the pandemic, he suffered from an injury and got a cast. He regrets not being able to continue his work during that phase.
The irresponsible tourists
Nandan mountain is a leisure spot for the tourists. People come visit the mountain with bags full of food and beverages. Majority of these tourists are irresponsible as they litter the area without disposing of the trash properly.
When Jitendra Mahto initiated the cleaning efforts, some people joined him in the cause. He was so dedicated to his cleaning work that visitors began to mistake him for a park staff due to his commitment. Jitendra also extended his efforts to clean the back of the pond near Nandan mountain, which is a popular party spot among youngsters.
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