Stains of civic apathy spoil CP’s charm, diminish its heritage character

Unlike the feel-good ending of “Lage Raho Munna Bhai”, where Sanjay Dutt advises a caller, over the radio, to clean the paan stains outside his door with a smile until his careless neighbour learns his lesson, the reality in Delhi’s Connaught Place (CP) tells a different story. Much like the neighbour in the film, many in the national capital continue to spit freely, leaving behind red streaks of paan and gutkha on the iconic white colonnades of the city’s heritage market. But unlike the movie, they seldom learn from their mistakes.

Walking through the lanes of Connaught Place’s many blocks, one cannot miss the splattered red stains that mar nearly every corner and pillar. Despite repeated sanitation drives, the problem persists, mocking the “No Spitting – Fine Rs 5,000” signs displayed by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). Street vendors and shopkeepers, who have spent decades working in Connaught Place, say they are both embarrassed and exhausted by the constant filth. Savitri, a street vendor selling jhumkas near McDonald’s in N-Block, said she has watched the problem worsen over the years.

“I’ve been here for nearly six decades now and seen people spit here countless times. I try to stop them, but they don’t listen. Sometimes they even spit in my corner when I’m away, and I have to clean it myself to stay safe from germs,” she said.

Om Prakash, who runs a small stall near the My Bar headquarters in the same block, has put up multiple notices warning of fines for spitting but to no avail.

“People get angry when I tell them not to spit. They say, ‘Who are you to tell me what to do?’ Someone even tore down a notice I had pasted above my stall. Just a few days ago, someone spat right next to it again,” he said in frustration.

Visitors too are disheartened by the lack of civic sense in what is supposed to be one of Delhi’s cleanest and most prestigious markets. “I love coming to CP to hang out with my friends, but the red stains are like blemishes on its reputation,” said Delhiite Pari Bhatt. “There are very few dustbins here, which add to the problem. Spitting isn’t about infrastructure, it’s about civic sense. People think the streets and walls are their canvas to paint red on,” said Pari.

Another visitor, Mohit, echoed the same sentiment. “Delhi could be one of the most beautiful cities, but it’s the people who make it dirty. Even when there’s a dustbin nearby, they throw garbage on the road. And the paan stains, you’ll find them everywhere, from roads to Metro stations,” he said.

According to NDMC officials, the council carries out frequent cleaning and repainting drives, yet the walls are defaced again within days. “It’s more of a civic sense issue than a cleanliness one. We paint and clean the Connaught Place area at least six to seven times a year. During the recent sanitation drive, between September 17 and October 2, we repainted even the heavily-stained areas. But within days, the marks returned,” said an NDMC official.

The official said maintaining CP’s signature white façade is an expensive affair. “The paint used for these heritage buildings is of special quality and costs a lot. Yet people don’t realise the effort or the cost that goes into keeping it clean. We even impose fines, but most offenders aren’t Delhi residents. New Delhi has a population of about three lakh, but nearly 12 to 13 lakh people visit for work. Many of them don’t see it as their responsibility to keep it clean,” he said.

Despite awareness campaigns, signboards and regular clean-up drives, Connaught Place continues to be splashed with stains of civic apathy. The NDMC may repaint its white pillars time and again, but until citizens themselves stop treating public space as disposable corner, the city’s heart will keep bleeding red.