A Polish travel vlogger's video showcasing piles of garbage and sewage along the Yamuna River behind the Taj Mahal in Agra has gone viral on social media platforms, with users debating India's cleanliness and tourism.
Watch the video here:
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The clip, shared by user @podroznikdowynajecia on Instagram, has triggered a flurry of reactions, with some users praising the vloggers for highlighting environmental concerns, while others criticised the video for reinforcing negative stereotypes about India.
The video shows a group of tourists at the back of the iconic monument, near piles of garbage. A woman can be seen covering her nose with a scarf, with the camera further capturing the trash. Tourists in the video said, "Where is the Taj Mahal? It stinks terribly. Worse than Chennai."
The controversy surrounds the portrayal of India's iconic monument, with some arguing that the video was meant to shame India. However, the vloggers clarified in the caption that their intention was not to malign India.
"India is a great country. We would never think to hate this great part of the world. There are many clean and beautiful places. We plan to return soon and share videos from this better side of India," they wrote.
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Social media users say, "Why seek out filth?"
One user wrote, "I get it, some places are filthy. But why seek out filth? Why go where there are no roads? Why follow the stench? It's like going to a nasty sewage and sit there and complain about the smell. Just visit the good places maybe, and not the landfills."
"Your behaviour is more disgusting than the level of mess you're so judgy about," a two user wrote.
"I don't understand the point of this video. As a tourist why would you specifically go to a place filled with garbage, make a video of it and share it?" a third user said.
On the other hand, many users are calling for better waste management and civic sense, with some suggesting that the government should prioritise cleaning up areas around tourist attractions.
