Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra was nominated by Narendra Modi to be an ambassador for his Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign for a cleaner India.
She chose to clean up a slum area in Versova, Mumbai. This is where Priyanka came while shooting for her 2012 film Angeepath.
"By and large, we had the support the local community especially from the women in the area," Priyanka told BuzzFeed in an email.
"I think the more they saw the changes that were taking place, the more comfortable they became. But I have to admit that most of us, me included, are apathetic to the filth around us," she said.
It was time to get down and dirty. Even the children of the area put on rubber gloves and participated.
"We've gotten used to it to the point that we simply don't care anymore," Priyanka further told in the email.
"We faced that during the clean up. Every morning we would return to the area to continue work and we would find new piles of garbage. Having said that, towards the end, it stopped. That gave us a lot of hope that this would be a successful initiative. I have to say that this entire experience has taught me a lot and motivated me to find ways to do more."
There was enough trash to fill eight trucks. The area was cleared out and the ground was flattened.
"There is so much more work to do in the area -- building toilets, creating a drainage infrastructure, pitting in green areas. It's a long road but one that can have a sustainable impact. We've put the onus on the local community to continue the upkeep; they now need to take this forward," Priyanka said in her email to BuzzFeed.
Beautiful finishing touches were added.
The locals were very pleased and motivated to maintain the area's hygiene conditions.
Thanks for the great work and positive message, Queen Pri!
