From Loss to Leadership: Surabhi Singh Topwal’s Journey Towards a Cleaner Bharat

You wouldn’t expect a city-wide cleanliness movement to begin with a deeply personal loss, but that’s precisely how one environmental activist in India, Surabhi Singh Topwal, Founder of Mission Clean Doon and Mission Clean Bharat, stepped into activism. Armed with a PGDM and an LL.B. (Hons.), Surabhi transformed grief into grassroots change after losing her grandfather—a respected Deputy Labour Commissioner—during the first COVID wave.

What began as solo Sunday clean-up drives across Dehradun grew into over 100 cleanups, run on minimal funds and maximum willpower. Today, Surabhi is not just a Dehradun Swachhta Champion but also widely known as India’s first Character Education Coach through her initiative, Mission Mindshift. Her efforts blend eco-activism with behavioural change, driven by ethics, awareness, and empathy.

From cleaning ancient rivers to empowering widows under her initiative RajuSha, she’s giving "Clean Bharat" a soul and a strategy. In this exclusive interview, Surabhi opens up about why trash is more than garbage, how mental clutter blocks environmental progress, and what every Indian can do—right now—to be part of the change.

From Grief to Green: How Surabhi is Cleaning Up Bharat

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A post shared by Surabhi Singh Topwal (@missioncleanbharat)

When asked what first inspired her to take up activism, especially in the realm of human rights, her answer wasn’t a rehearsed declaration—it was a memory. A soft beginning rooted in grief. “It started as a child of my grief,” she said, recalling the loss of her grandfather, the Deputy Labour Commissioner of Garhwal. His integrity left a mark so deep that she found herself yearning to honour it beyond rituals. That longing became her compass. “I just got up one fine morning and started doing clean-up drives,” she tells us, smiling at the innocence of that decision.

What began as a personal promise slowly spiralled into a public movement. From a single cleanup on June 13, 2021, she went on to lead over 100 drives, mostly self-funded, driven by instinct and heart. Curious, we asked what her first field assignment was and how it shaped her. She spoke of the Rispana River—expecting plastic, but instead found old saris, shirts, and even medical waste. “That’s when I truly understood the impact of fast fashion,” she said.

Cleanups, she explained, are not just physical labour—they're waste audits. A truth that led to her mission evolving from Clean Doon to Clean Bharat. But we wanted to know more—what made waste feel so urgent to her? She paused and brought up the Swachh Survekshan rankings. Dehradun’s name on the “dirtiest cities” list haunted her. It led to research, reflection, and eventually, a midnight epiphany.

She created an Instagram page, not for fame, but to begin. “Today, Dehradun is off that list,” she said, her tone grounded, her eyes shining. Yet, her journey didn’t end with trash bags and sidewalks. As a lawyer now, her work has taken her deeper into the lives of sanitation workers, ragpickers, and those unseen by the cities they clean. “They live harsh lives. Many are uninsured. Many die young,” she told us, her voice steady but full of empathy. That pain birthed her next step—Mission Mindshift—a character education course aimed at changing mindsets, not just laws. Her mother took it. “She changed”. 

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A post shared by Surabhi Singh Topwal (@missioncleanbharat)

Talking about what Clean Bharat meant to her, beyond its literal goal, her response was striking: “It’s not just about streets. It’s about a mental cleanup. Leading with humility. Changing one person at a time.” We asked what advice she had for young changemakers. She kept it simple: Start where you are. Clean your own alley. Don’t chase virality. And for those wondering how to start at home, she offered three steps: compost your kitchen waste, carry cloth bags, and separate multilayered plastics.

“Even RO water matters,” she added, laughing gently at how often people overlook the basics. Before we ended, we asked her what mistakes people make when trying to be sustainable. Her answer was quiet but profound: “They rush. They forget to love the process.” In her world, sustainability isn’t a campaign—it’s a character. A practice. A quiet revolution.

One Bucket, One Mindset, Resulting Cleaner Bharat

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A post shared by Surabhi Singh Topwal (@missioncleanbharat)

As our conversation drew to a close, we asked her the most important question of all—how does she ensure her work leads to real change, and not just awareness? Her response was reflective and precise. “In the beginning, I just posted cleanup pictures,” she said.

“But I realised people were coming just to be seen, not because they truly cared.” That’s when she pivoted. She created a course, became more mindful of her content, and committed to collaborating only with brands she trusted and used herself. Her mission expanded through school visits, guest lectures, and most importantly, her online course Mission Mindshift.

And, all of it is directed towards one goal -  to make people aware of the root cause and work for mitigating the causes for the country to become cleaner and healthier.