Screenshot from viral video (Image/Instagram)
NEW DELHI: A video shared by an Indian social media user has gone viral after showing a busy street in Amsterdam filled with litter, prompting a debate on civic sense and global cleanliness standards.The clip, posted by Rahul Mahajan on Tuesday, shows garbage scattered across Amsterdam Central. The post was captioned, “British says Indians do not have civic sense and see their own civic sense. ” In the video, the man is heard saying, “People say India doesn’t have civic sense, but the streets of Amsterdam Central are full of trash.” Text appearing on the screen also mocked stereotypes about India’s cleanliness: “These streets of Amsterdam are filled with garbage, and yet foreigners say Indians don’t have civic sense.”The video triggered mixed reactions online. Some users argued that Amsterdam remains a well-maintained city overall.One wrote: “Amsterdam Central is a bit messy, but cleanliness in other areas is very good. Tourists only see this part and judge the whole Netherlands.” Another commented: “I live in Amsterdam, the mess is actually made by tourists.”Others compared conditions in India and Europe. “Cleaner than some Indian roads,” one user remarked, while another said, “Some people will never praise India.” Despite viral claims, global rankings show the Netherlands performs strongly on environmental standards. Amsterdam is listed as the 22nd cleanest city in the world with an AQI of 31, according to IQAir.The Netherlands is ranked 9th in the 2024 Environmental Performance Index for cleanliness and environmental health.
