SMB ensuring litter-free city

SHILLONG, April 29: The Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) is making extra efforts to ensure that the streets of the city remain neat clean.
A few months ago, litter — paper cups, chip packets, plastic bottles, and other waste — used to line the pavements from IGP to Police Bazar. However, the situation has improved drastically with the deployment of staff working from morning till evening to clean the streets.
A group of around 100 contractual employees, mostly young boys and girls, have been engaged by the Board. They are regularly seen cleaning areas like Police Bazar, Ward’s Lake, IGP, and other nearby locations.
Observers noted that this new team appears deeply committed to their work — often picking up even a single piece of litter from the roads.
Speaking informally to The Shillong Times, one of the workers shared that although they are on contract, they coordinate closely to ensure the streets remain clean. “We did feel bad when people complained, and now we are determined to keep the city spotless,” one of them said.
The workers say they have taken it upon themselves to maintain cleanliness and are fully committed to the task.
While the initiative has been widely welcomed by the public, many feel it is important that such efforts are sustained — and not reduced to a short-term campaign.