Bhubaneswar: For 28-year-old software engineer Pritish Nayak, Sundays are not about lazy mornings and leisurely breakfasts, but giving back to the nature.Every weekend, Nayak can be found along the banks of Bindusagar, armed with gloves, sacks and an unwavering commitment to conserving the ancient lake.For nearly a year now, Nayak has devoted his Sundays to cleaning the iconic water body in the heart of Bhubaneswar’s Old Town. What began as an individual effort to remove plastic waste and other debris from the lake has gradually evolved into a community movement, drawing students, young professionals and local residents. Initially, Nayak started the clean-up drive with the help of just two volunteers. Today, 15 to 20 people join him every Sunday.Around 1,300-ft long and 700-ft wide, Bindusagar is embanked with stone and holds immense religious significance. Closely linked to the rituals of Lingaraj Temple, the lake has long faced challenges from littering, plastic pollution and public neglect. Concerned by its deteriorating condition, Nayak decided to act rather than wait for others to do so.Every Sunday, Nayak, along with his friends and local youths, reaches Bindusagar to remove liquor bottles, plastic waste, religious offerings and other garbage from its banks.“There is an urgency behind what we are doing. Bindusagar has been choked from all directions due to urban construction. To worsen matters, people dump all sorts of waste into it. The lake is ritually connected to the Lingaraj Temple, and devotees either sprinkle its water on themselves or take a bath in it before visiting the shrine. Today, however, the water has become unfit for bathing,” he says.While the group earlier collected waste and left it by the roadside, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation now deploys sanitation workers to collect and dispose of it.A climate educationist by passion, Nayak believes lasting environmental change cannot be achieved through clean-up drives alone. “People need to understand why these water bodies matter and how everyday actions affect them,” he says.Over the months, his initiative has focused not only on removing waste but also on creating awareness. Through conversations, social media outreach and on-ground engagement, he has encouraged people to view the lake as a shared responsibility rather than merely a public asset maintained by authorities.The results are beginning to show. Local residents who once overlooked littering are becoming more conscious of their actions. Shopkeepers and visitors are increasingly cooperating with volunteers, while the volume of waste has gradually reduced in some parts of the lake.For Nayak, however, the mission is far from over. He hopes more residents will join hands to ensure that Bindusagar remains clean throughout the year. “A lake survives not because a few people clean it, but because everyone chooses not to pollute it,” he says.
