The findings of the Swacch Bharat Mission survey may not have brought cheer to Kota residents. The coaching capital was found to be a laggard when it came to cleanliness, being ranked 58th in the list of 75 cities, which were surveyed to see the impact of the government’s cleanliness drive.

The deplorable sanitation situation calls for active citizen participation and taking a cue, Sidhartha Rahura, a fine arts student, has come forward with a brilliant idea to sensitize residents to keep the city clean and garbage free.

A post graduate student of Kota’s Fine Arts Government College, Rahura has used city’s walls as a medium for his paintings to convey cleanliness messages. The painting of a sleeping kid on the wall near Jaipur Golden area in Kota, an open garbage dumping point in the city, warns those who care two hoots about the city’s filth. The message, ‘jago nahin to aap aur ham sab yuhin so jayenge‘ (wake up and act or else we all will have no choice but to die), reflects how the filthy unhygienic condition in the city poses a grave threat to the health of residents, besides being an eyesore.

The painting of a woman covering her face with hands on a wall, where waste is dumped out in the open, in the Cantonment area, has a terse message for those responsible for making the city filthy. It reads as ‘sharm karein, swachata ke liye kuch karm karein’ (feel ashamed and take some measures to keep your city clean).

Talking about his initiative, Rahura said, “Kota is known as India’s coaching capital for medical and engineering entrance examinations, but poor sanitation is worrisome. We must take adequate measures to spread awareness and keep the city clean.”

Lauding Rahura’s efforts, Brijesh Vijayvargiya , a local resident, said, “Conveying a powerful message through art is also an art in itself. Sidhartha is a talented artist and has efficiently used the visual medium to highlight the importance of cleanliness. It is a commendable job.”

Next time when you are in Kota, do pause to watch art for a cause on the walls.