SHILLONG: Belinda Kharsati, from Pomlahier village, Mawryngkneng was conferred with the prestigious National Award under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) for her contribution towards Swachh Bharat or Clean India.
Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presented the award to Kharsati at a function at Vigyan Bhavan, in New Delhi recently.
A teacher by profession, 50-year-old Kharsati has relentlessly pursued the goal of green and clean environment.
To achieve the goal of a clean and green environment, she started an eco club among her students and every Friday, the students would be sensitised on maintaining cleanliness and engaging in cleaning drives.
Kharsati made it mandatory for students under her tutelage to ensure cleanliness not only on the school premises but also in the village.
Kharsati has been instrumental in leading the village particularly the women folk towards achieving the goal of Swachh Bharat through cleaning drives and afforestation programmes.
She rendered her valuable time towards motivating fellow womenfolk and villagers towards maintaining cleanliness not only in the village but also in the surrounding areas.
Kharsati is also credited to have introduced organic farming among the farmers of her village.
She pioneered the formation of an all women SHG called the Pomlahier Organic Farmers SHG that has recently undertaken organic farming under the MGNREGA scheme.
Her aim is to facilitate the gradual movement of farmers in Mawryngkneng Block from the conventional farming methods towards complete organic farming.
Since the village has adopted solid and liquid waste management, the SHG collects the manure generated from the wastes for carrying out organic farming.
