Let Me Walk (also known as Walk with the Princess on social media) is an initiative to make Gurugram’s streets clean, walkable, and aesthetic, led through a deliberately light-hearted but impactful approach. Instead of a moralizing tone, I position myself as a “high-maintenance pampered princess” who simply wants clean streets so that she can walk, take pictures without garbage dumps ruining the background, not have to avert her eyes while walking, and not be forced to dodge cars because the footpaths are filled with trash. The idea is to make the issue relatable and the campaign fun so that people WANT to join in.
I also built a fictional backstory where I am a princess trying to become heir and that gave my page depth. Using this persona, I post on my page @walkwiththeprincess about littering, the air pollution crisis in my area, my own initiatives on these issues, and the government mechanisms already in place. I also show how effective these mechanisms have been for me personally as I follow up on the areas I report. This way, the project becomes a structured behaviour-change and systems-awareness campaign.
The project has three tiers.
(1) Anti-littering awareness: A social media campaign centred on personal responsibility. Not serving the community, but just taking care of your own trash, which makes it an easy opt-in.
(2) Systems engagement: I document garbage dumps and littered streets and use government tools like the Swachhtha App to file complaints. I have reported multiple sites, received responses from authorities, and seen successful cleanups.
(3) Waste segregation revival: I work locally to re-establish segregation systems. After reviving door-to-door segregation in my apartment complex in 2021, I now volunteer in dry waste collection and organise community drives such as Diwali waste, clothes, flower and terracotta waste, which I send to recycling units. I also organise collection drives to repurpose surplus material into circular economic social entrepreneurship models by collaborating with a national NGO.
But despite the successful clean up drives I facilitated, these areas were littered again. This is a mindset issue because everyone seems to believe that even if they do not litter, someone else will anyway, and so the waste accumulates. My goal is to create a mindset shift, mobilise citizens, and demonstrate that local actions, when communicated well, can influence systems. Let Me Walk began from a personal frustration with unwalkable streets, and many people have taken interest and tried out my suggestions. I love how I get to be creative and pour myself into it in a way where I enjoy the process while making tangible impact.