Govt to use technology to ensure cleanliness

SHILLONG: The state government is mulling the use of modern technology in collaboration with the residents of Shillong to monitor cleanliness in the city, for which suggestions are  being solicited from interested citizens to resolve the critical problem.
The supervisory committee- clean and green, of the state government inaugurated Shillong Hackathon, 2017 that aims to make Shillong clean and livable at Yojana Bhavan on Tuesday.
Speaking at the function, Additional Chief Secretary, Hector Marwein,  suggested use of Information Technology (IT) for waste disposal, traffic congestion and other issues faced by Shillong.
He expressed optimism that the 25 teams consisting of young people, shortlisted by the state government, will be able to come up with IT solutions by harnessing technology to bring about cleanliness in Shillong.
State Informatics Officers, National Informatics Center, Timothy Dkhar said, “Hackathon is one of the platforms to engage the young minds to exercise their brain, using their skills and technology knowhow and power by their imagination, innovation and creativity to solve the problems which we face on a day-to-day basis in our lives such as infrastructure, transportation, healthcare, services, etc.”
He informed that the Shillong hackathon is the first in Shillong and in the north eastern states underlining the theme for a Clean and Livable city.
It may be recalled that it was launched recently in the state. There will be presentation-cum-demonstration of IT solutions by the teams as well as elimination round.
Hackathon was initiated by Supervisory Committee headed by the Chief Secretary with members from all stakeholders, to actively monitor, improve and maintain cleanliness in Shillong which is in line with the Court’s intervention.
As waste management in the Shillong Urban agglomeration is currently being handled by multiple public agencies including traditional local institutions, and the solutions arising out of Hackathon would bring about a coordinated effort to streamline the management of waste.
 There are altogether 30 problem statements posted from 8 departments/ organisations on the hackathon website.
Around 85 teams registered in the hackathon and 36 teams were shortlisted after the mentors from the departments and NIC examined their ideas.