PASIGHAT, Sep 23: Around 5.6 tonnes of waste was cleared from the Sibo Korong riverbank at Gidi Notko here on Wednesday during a mass cleanliness drive organised under the theme “Swachh Nadi, Swachh Bharat”.
The drive was organised by the Department of Mass Communication, Arunachal Pradesh University (APU), as part of the month-long programme commemorating the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The cleanliness drive was held ahead of the main celebration scheduled from October 7 to 9.
Around 400 volunteers, including members of the Pasighat Municipal Council (PMC), Youth Mission for Clean River (YMCR), NSS Unit of Jawaharlal Nehru College, community-based organisations, student bodies and local residents, participated in the drive.
PMC Chief Councillor Tagom Padung, who attended the programme, stressed the need to inculcate civic responsibility among youth towards maintaining clean rivers. Referring to the National Song’s expression “Sujalam, Suphalam”, he highlighted the cultural and ecological significance of protecting water bodies.
APU Registrar Narmi Darang said rivers were the lifeline of Arunachal Pradesh and protecting them was a collective responsibility. He said the university would continue to take learning beyond classrooms by involving students in community-oriented initiatives.
YMCR vice chairman Keyom Doni highlighted the impact of household waste and single-use plastic on urban streams. He called for waste segregation at source and urged residents to adopt responsible waste-disposal practices.
Chairperson of the River Cleanliness Drive Committee and head of the Department of Computer Science, Dr Lucindia Dupak, said Sibo Korong was selected for the drive considering its ecological and community importance.
She said an audit of the collected waste showed a large quantity of plastic wrappers, PET bottles, discarded clothes and construction debris.
Students, research scholars, faculty and staff of APU, PMC officials and local residents actively participated in the cleanliness drive.