Kolkata: The video of an Australian travel vlogger is making waves after he shared a video from his visit to Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh. The video shows the reportedly infamous ‘garbage mountain’ of the city.
The vlogger, Jaden Laing, shared the video on Instagram. In the video, Laing, who calls himself the third strongest man in Australia, can be seen becoming overwhelmed by the stench of the Ghazipur landfill. He called the experience a “straight uppercut to the nose,” and said, “Get an Uber out of here. I’m actually going to vomit.” He went to the roadside with his head in his hands, trying to compose himself after being swept off by the strong bad odour.
Laing posted a video with the caption, “The Ghazipur landfill is a landfill waste dumping site established in 1984. It is located in Ghazipur, a village in the eastern district of Delhi, India. The landfill covers an area of approximately 70 acres and reaches heights of over 236 feet.”
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The video has garnered over 2 million views and more than 86,000 likes as netizens have given mixed reactions to the clip. While Laing’s reaction amused some people, others blamed him for reinforcing stereotypical narratives about India.
One user wrote, “You walk into a landfill and complain about the smell? What were you expecting, fresh lavender?” Another user said, “I don’t understand why so many tourists from outside India choose to spend thousands of dollars just to highlight slums and garbage… You had a real opportunity to show the better side of India – its spirit, innovation, warmth, and heritage.”
Another user said, “I don’t understand why foreigners like to visit the dirtiest places first. There are so many beautiful places in India. Show that to people who are judging India.” While another user found it amusing and said, “We made it. Garbage Mountain is officially a tourist attraction. We have three of them.”
