By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 22: Operation Clean-Up (OCU) which started in 2019 with the purpose of cleaning up rivers Umkhrah and Umshyrpi which flow through the city but have ended up concentrating on the Umkaliar river, on Friday organised a fraternal get-together of all the groups and individuals that are deeply concerned with the gross mismanagement of waste in the city and beyond.
Groups like Project Clean Surroundings led by Jefferson Kynjing; Nickholas Kharnami of My Shillong, My Pride fame; Jiva Cares the group of five regularly cleaning the busy thoroughfares of Police Bazar, Laitumkhrah and wherever public decide to dump their waste; Molin Khongkrom and his team of young volunteers from Riwai village, Nenhoichong Haokip, Senior Auditor at Defence Accounts Department, who has been sweeping the public road next to her quarters since 2009, were a part of the programme.
Team OCU believes that it needs to team up with all those who passionately dedicate themselves to the task of keeping the city and beyond clean because they have a personal and group commitment to the cause.
On Friday, OCU invited the individuals and groups to City Hut Dhaba and felicitated them. Speaking at the programme, Jefferson Kynjing of Project Clean Surroundings whose team comprises of recovering alcoholics and destitute who work because they need a livelihood and food to eat, said, “I am educated and even got through the prelims of the UPSC but fate had other plans for me and here I am cleaning garbage with my team.
Project Clean Surroundings is registered with the Shillong Municipal Board. One of the team members lost his leg in an accident in December last year and is yet to get an artificial limb because he does not have documents to prove his identity. Jefferson and his team have been working since September 2020, picking up garbage at all odd places such as institutions, resorts etc.
The group has learnt to monetise waste and to grow vegetables and rear pigs as a livelihood. Explaining the extent of work done Jefferson said so far they have collected over 609 tonnes of garbage. From the money derived from waste Project Clean Surroundings has given 1,560 plates of food to street dwellers and others in need of food. They have distributed clothes to 204 families and also dry rations such as rice, mustard oil, dal, etc to 162 families and four orphanages. They have planted a total of 1,468 saplings.
That a group picking garbage every day also has the heart to attend to the needs of poverty-stricken people is a story that needs to be told.
Nicholas Kharnami popularly known as Nicky J says, “Unless we use the law to penalise violators who dump garbage wherever they wish to without a care, we will not succeed in our objective. That is why I use my phone to capture pictures of violators and ensure they are heavily fined. I understand that the work we do can sometimes be demotivating but we cannot give up. The Bible says ‘Do not weary’, and this should be our guide.” Nicky J also questioned the scrap dealers who are exploiting the rag pickers and said there should be an oversight body to look at this aspect.
Molin Khongkrom from Riwai village near Mawlynnong has a team of children with whom he voluntarily cleans the village. So much so they often don’t find any garbage at all to pick up. Khongkrom says he is motivated by watching Jiva Cares people at work to keep the city clean.
Some in the audience questioned the role of religious leaders vis-à-vis the garbage challenge. “Why is it that we have never seen any religious group involved in a cleaning drive or even preaching about the challenge of garbage in churches? Garbage management should begin at home and parents should be the first teachers of their children that garbage is a personal responsibility and throwing it anywhere and everywhere should attract a penalty. Garbage is also a sign of a broken system,” the member said.
OCU intends to seek out all who have a similar mission of cleaning up any part of Meghalaya so that the circle of environmental warriors grows and everyone is motivated to start a group to clean up their surroundings in any part of this city or villages beyond Shillong.