5.6 Tonnes of Waste Cleared from Sibo Korong Riverbank in Pasighat
The cleanliness drive at Gidi Notko was organised by Arunachal Pradesh University ahead of the October 7–9 grand celebration marking 150 years of “Vande Mataram.”
PASIGHAT- An estimated 5.6 tonnes of garbage was removed from the Sibo Korong riverbank at Gidi Notko in Pasighat during a mass river cleanliness drive organised under the theme “Swachh Nadi, Swachh Bharat.”
The drive was organised by the Department of Mass Communication, Arunachal Pradesh University (APU) to commemorate the 150th anniversary of “Vande Mataram”. The initiative was held as a prelude to the grand celebration scheduled from October 7 to 9 and formed part of the month-long “Vande Mataram” programme sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Around 400 volunteers participated in the cleanup, including members of the Pasighat Municipal Council, Youth Mission for Clean River, NSS Unit of Jawaharlal Nehru College, Bogong Banggo Yameng Kebang, Rengging Baane Yameng Kebang, All Bogong Students’ Union, Arunachal Pradesh University Students’ Union and residents from Ward No. 1, GTC, Paglek and Sibo-Siang.
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Chief Councillor of Pasighat Municipal Council Tagom Padung attended the programme and stressed the need to build a stronger sense of civic responsibility among young people for maintaining clean rivers. He also referred to the “Sujalam, Suphalam” ideal associated with the National Song to underline the cultural and ecological significance of the initiative.
APU Registrar Narmi Darang described rivers as an important lifeline for Arunachal Pradesh and said their protection required collective participation from institutions, communities and local bodies. He said the university aimed to take learning beyond classrooms through initiatives such as the cleanliness drive.
Youth Mission for Clean River Vice Chairman Keyom Doni highlighted the problem of household waste and single-use plastic in urban streams. He said an estimated 80 percent of river waste was preventable household waste and stressed the importance of segregation of wet, dry and reject waste at source. He also called for stronger door-to-door waste collection and action against littering along riverbanks.
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Chairperson of the River Cleanliness Drive Committee and Head of APU’s Department of Computer Science, Dr Lucindia Dupak, said Sibo Korong was selected because of its ecological and community importance. An audit of the collected waste found significant quantities of plastic wrappers, PET bottles, discarded clothes and construction debris from Gidi Notko.
Students, research scholars, faculty members and staff of APU, PMC officials and local residents also participated actively in the cleanup.
