PASIGHAT, Sep 23: An estimated 5.6 tonnes of garbage was cleared from the Sibo Korong riverbank at GidiNotko here today during a mass river cleanliness drive themed “Swachh Nadi, Swachh Bharat”.
The drive was organised by the Department of Mass Communication, Arunachal Pradesh University (APU), to commemorate the 150th anniversary of “VandeMataram”. The initiative, held as a prelude to the grand celebration scheduled from October 7-9, is part of the month-long ‘VandeMataram’ programmesponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Around 400 volunteers participated in the drive, including members of Pasighat Municipal Council (PMC), Youth Mission for Clean River (YMCR), NSS Unit of Jawaharlal Nehru College, Bogong BanggoYamengKebang (BBYK), RenggingBaaneYamengKebang (RBYK), All Bogong Students’ Union (ABSU), Arunachal Pradesh University Students’ Union (APUSU) and residents of Ward No. 1, GTC, Paglek and Sibo-Siang.
Chief Councillor, Pasighat Municipal Council, TagomPadung graced the occasion. In his address, he underscored the need to instill a sense of civic responsibility among the youth for maintaining clean rivers and invoked the ideal of “Sujalam, Suphalam” - rich with pure water and abundant in fruits and crops - as enshrined in the National Song, to emphasise the cultural and ecological significance of the initiative.
Addressing the gathering, APU Registrar Narmi Darang said rivers are not just water bodies but the lifeline of Arunachal Pradesh and its people.
“Protecting our rivers is a collective responsibility. No government or institution alone can do it. When our students, community-based organisations and the municipal council come together, it creates a lasting impact,” Darang said.
He added that the university is committed to taking knowledge beyond classrooms. “Commemorating 150 years of VandeMataram is not just about remembering a song, it is about living its spirit. ‘Sujalam, Suphalam’ must reflect in our actions. Through this drive, we want our students to understand that Swachh Bharat begins with Swachh Nadi,” he said, while appreciating the support of all collaborating organisations and local residents.
YMCR Vice Chairman KeyomDoni, in his address, highlighted the deteriorating health of urban streams like Sibo Korong due to unchecked dumping of household waste and single-use plastic.
“We have been working on rivers in our state for years. What we see is that 80 percent of river waste is preventable household waste. If every household segregates waste at source - wet, dry and reject - half the problem is solved,” Doni said.
He urged the participants, especially students and youth groups, to become ambassadors of proper waste disposal in their own localities and called upon the PMC to strengthen door-to-door collection and penalize littering along riverbanks.
Chairperson of the River Cleanliness Drive Committee and Head, Department of Computer Science, Dr LucindiaDupak said Sibo Korong was deliberately chosen for its ecological and community importance.
She informed that an audit of the collected waste showed a high volume of plastic wrappers, PET bottles, discarded clothes and construction debris from GidiNotko.
Students, research scholars, faculty members and staff of APU, officials of PMC and members of the local community took active part in the drive.

 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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