Meet Amith Amarnath, the lawyer making Bengaluru cleaner and greener

Bengaluru-based lawyer Amith Amarnath has spent more than a decade transforming public spaces across the city, long before the launch of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in October 2014. His work has recently gained fresh attention after industrialist Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw shared a video highlighting his efforts to make Bengaluru cleaner and greener.

Amarnath's journey, however, began years earlier. As first reported by The Economic Times in 2016, he was still a law student when he, along with six friends, founded the non-profit organisation Youth for Parivarthan with a simple goal—to encourage citizens to take responsibility for their surroundings instead of waiting for authorities to act.

"We joined hands with the BBMP and started work. Our motto is 'Stop Complaining, Start Acting'," Amarnath had told The Economic Times then.

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The group's first project was a children's play area in Banashankari II Stage. Amarnath and his team identified garbage-filled public spaces and neglected footpaths, pooled their own money to buy paint, brushes and other materials, and began cleaning and beautifying the locations through what they called the "Parivarthan Drive." As news of their work spread, volunteers from across Bengaluru reached out through email and Facebook to join the initiative.

Over the years, Youth for Parivarthan has grown into one of the city's most active community-led civic movements. According to Amarnath, the organisation has cleaned and beautified more than 400 locations across Bengaluru over the past 12 years, with the support of over 10,000 volunteers.

Speaking recently to The Times of India, Amarnath said lasting change begins with individual responsibility.

"We often complain about our surroundings not being clean, but change has to begin with us. A single plastic cover thrown carelessly can eventually turn into a garbage blackspot."

The organisation's work has now expanded beyond cleanliness drives. In addition to restoring public spaces, Youth for Parivarthan has launched a community kitchen initiative aimed at providing meals to hungry and underprivileged people. The initiative reflects the group's broader mission of community service, combining environmental conservation with social welfare.

From cleaning neglected public spaces to feeding those in need, Amith Amarnath's efforts demonstrate how sustained citizen-led action can create a lasting impact and inspire thousands to contribute towards building a cleaner, greener and more compassionate Bengaluru.