Pollution as Religion

Today is the biggest religious festival this city celebrates, among the hundred others. Statues of Ganesh are carried around on trucks and lorries, accompanied by many many people of all ages, shapes and sizes, many barefoot, throwing colour around and dancing with abandon to entirely non-devotional music blaring from speakers adjacent to their idol of worship. Any excuse to party, eh?

I am not too bothered by the fact that someone threw colour on me, specifically on me, before I had finished walking the 600-700 metres from my office to the station. I don't want to be a part of the celebration, but that is my problem, and I will deal with it.

But I can't be not bothered by the fallout. As if its not choking with filth already, all this city needs is another fucking excuse to pollute itself even more. There was not a spot on the road that was not littered with discarded plastic glasses and plates. Those came from the free give-away of edibles every 500 metres or so by a bunch of religiously fanatical do-gooders. And no one had the sense to even leave a token dustbin anywhere near. Not that they would have been used, since civic sense is a rather alien concept around these parts. But the city corporation is taking a very tough line with people throwing cigarette butts on the fucking sidewalk. Good thing I don't feel bad about unfairness from life.

Update, the morning after: On my way to the station, I noticed every single drain mouth at least half clogged with remnants of revelry. And no one seemed to care. To be fair though, there is a clean-up operation on at the beaches where volunteers are mopping it up. But to be fair, its only the beach... what about the damn roads?