Young soldiers in Nongstoin on clean mission

By Ronald Syiem

It is a mission that the West Khasi Hills district administration has embarked on and is implementing it with alacrity. It is more about achieving the target than mere symbolism.
The administration has included young soldiers, all students, from 25 schools and colleges in the district in achieving the goal to clean up Nongstoin town, the district headquarters. Teachers and government employees too joined in the drive.
The initiative, which the district administration pledged to on World Environment Day on June 5, is on for more than three months now and students come out on streets every week to clean parks, respective localities, markets, roads and other public places as part of the Socially Useful Productive Work. Last period of every Friday has been designated for the work.
To encourage participation of students, teachers score them on their work. Every school has been assigned to a particular locality. With the success of the initiative in the town, the administration is now planning to take it to every village.
Bamboo-brooms, bamboo baskets (khoh), spade and other tools have been given to schools by the district administration under the Chief Minister’s Youth for Green Campaign.
Deputy Commissioner Arun Kumar Kembhavi is playing the leading role in following up every week. “In Japan, most of the schools don’t have janitors. Children do all the work, including scrubbing the floors and cleaning the toilets. Our students need to understand that there is no shame in doing such work and keeping our surroundings clean,” said Kembhavi.
Children have been instructed to handle only dry wastes and not wet or hazardous wastes, be careful about traffic movement and not cause disturbance to the public. Vehicles have been arranged to collect the garbage and shift it to SLRM centre for scientific disposal.
Though students were initially upset with the district administration’s decision but the pace with which they are taking the initiative forward, it seems they will carry out the task even in the long run.
“Cleaning is one thing. But creating awareness to not litter is more important than cleaning. Hence students have been requested to be Swachh Bharat ambassadors under which they will sensitise and create awareness among food stalls and road side vendors to put dustbins and encourage customers to put paper plates, plastic covers, glasses etc into that bins,” Kembhavi said.
Observing that Swachh Bharat Mission “is not just a slogan but a way of life”, the deputy commissioner said, “Our heartfelt thanks to all the (government) departments, teachers, principals and students for setting an example for the rest of Meghalaya. With this, Nongstoin is one step closer to becoming the cleanest town in the North East.”
He also requested all locals to joins hands in achieving the “cleanest district in the region” title.