By Our Reporter
Shillong, Oct 31: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Friday launched Mission Clean Shillong 2027, a flagship initiative aimed at transforming Shillong into one of the cleanest and most sustainable cities in the Northeast by strengthening waste management, promoting citizen participation, and improving coordination between government bodies and traditional institutions.
The launch took place during a consultative meeting with Rangbah Shnong and locality leaders from the Greater Shillong Planning Area, held at the State Convention Centre here.
Mission Clean Shillong 2027 sets ambitious goals, including achieving 100% waste processing, removing legacy waste from the Marten landfill, creating litter-free localities, and deploying technology-driven monitoring systems.
The mission also seeks to deepen community participation through citizen-led cleaning drives and accountability mechanisms.
Addressing the gathering, Sangma underscored the importance of collaboration among stakeholders.
“The purpose of these meetings is not just to point out what is not working, but to ask what we can do together to make things better. When the community, the government, the officials, and the political leadership come together, there is nothing we cannot achieve,” he said.
He stressed that regular engagement with locality leaders reflects the government’s commitment to institutionalise cooperation and community-driven action. “We may not be perfect, but we are trying very hard. Because of your interventions, many things have improved — from sanitation to lighting and waste management — but a lot more still needs to be done,” the Chief Minister added.
Meanwhile, Sangma highlighted key priorities such as CCTV installation, street lighting, drainage improvement, and city beautification.
He emphasised the need to make beautification and maintenance continuous processes rather than one-time efforts.
He also announced that the government will soon hold discussions on two pressing urban issues — river cleaning and drug abuse prevention — with the aim of achieving tangible results in the coming months.
“Let us continue to work as a team to make Shillong clean, green, and a much more livable city,” he urged.
The Chief Minister also directed officials to undertake a phased cleaning and rehabilitation of city drains to mitigate flooding risks and improve urban sanitation.
These efforts, he noted, will align with ongoing city beautification and infrastructure preparations ahead of the 2027 National Games.
Moreover, officials from the Urban Affairs Department presented progress made since the Clean Shillong Mission was launched in July 2025. The department reported a 50% increase in sanitation manpower, systematic drain cleaning, and improved waste management efficiency. Nearly half of the 3.5 lakh metric tons of legacy waste at Marten landfill has already been remediated through bio-mining, with the compost repurposed as manure in collaboration with the Agriculture Department.
Other ongoing initiatives include river rejuvenation projects, the creation of new parking zones, vendor-relocation drives, and the introduction of organised on-street parking systems across city localities.
To encourage innovation and public involvement, funds were released to 14 localities under an outcome-based model promoting beautification and civic participation.
The Chief Minister distributed scale-up fund cheques to these localities and encouraged creative initiatives such as boundary-wall painting and coordinated color schemes to enhance Shillong’s visual appeal.
An open dialogue between the Chief Minister and locality headmen addressed issues related to infrastructure, cleanliness, safety, and governance.
Key upcoming initiatives include the expansion of Village Defense Party (VDP)-style volunteer programmes to boost community policing and curb drug abuse, traffic management reforms to ease congestion, and beautification projects across major city zones.
The government also plans to prioritise public toilet facilities and CSR-supported maintenance partnerships in commercial areas.
The meeting was organised by the Department of Urban Affairs and attended by Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, Chief Secretary Shakil P. Ahammed, Commissioner and Secretary Vijay Kumar D, and senior officials from the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB) and Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
