{
  "id": 2134357,
  "title": "He quit engineering to clean the Ganga, removing 2.47 lakh kg of waste",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/20/he-quit-engineering-to-clean-the-ganga-removing-2-47-lakh-kg-of-waste",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-20T10:47:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "YourStory",
    "slug": "yourstory",
    "url": "https://yourstory.com/2026/08/shubham-kumar-being-helper-foundation-ganga-cleaning-patna"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Subham Kumar, a civil engineer from Bihar, decided to leave his engineering job in 2018 and began cleaning the Ganga ghats in Patna. Initially, he faced ridicule and questioned the impact of an individual's efforts. However, Subham remained committed to the cause, growing his initiative and building a team of over 1,100 volunteers. Today, his Being Helper Foundation not only focuses on cleanliness but also on plastic waste management, plantation, civic responsibility, and local community participation. Subham sees the Ganga as a vital part of the region's culture, tourism, and livelihoods, and he believes that a clean river can generate economic opportunities for dependent communities. Over the years, the initiative has removed more than 2.47 lakh kilograms of waste and collected over 3 lakh plastic bottles, with many being reused for environmental purposes. Subham emphasizes that real change is achieved when people adopt new behaviors, such as waste segregation and responsible disposal. His work has even led to the creation of bottle banks and improved facilities at several Ganga ghats.",
  "summary": "Shubham Kumar quit engineering to clean the Ganga, building a 1,100-volunteer movement that removed 2.47 lakh kg of waste.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}