By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 13: Women in Meghalaya are leading the way in waste management, setting a benchmark by achieving notable success in waste segregation.
The Lainehskhem Self-Help Group (SHG), popularly called ‘Merry Maidens of Shillong’, has been an inspiration in this regard. It has evolved into an organisation that effectively runs a Waste Recovery Centre.
The Merry Maidens began as a collective of women waste pickers at the Marten landfill. The group now produces certified compost using traditional and indigenous techniques, turning organic waste into a valuable resource.
The success of the SHG is closely linked to consistent training and technical support from the Urban Affairs Department. Through capacity-building and institutional backing, the women have transformed a challenging and often stigmatised occupation into a structured, dignified and sustainable livelihood.
Their work is reducing landfill load, improving soil health, and promoting responsible waste segregation in surrounding communities.
Beyond environmental benefits, the group has strengthened the local green economy, demonstrating the socio-economic potential of community-driven solutions.
The Merry Maidens now serves as a powerful model of how women-led grassroots efforts, when backed by government interventions, can deliver long-term solutions to waste management challenges while advancing inclusive and sustainable development in the state.
In line with the government’s push to strengthen waste management systems, Meghalaya is witnessing encouraging progress in several districts.
Enhanced waste segregation, community-led composting programmes, and strengthened environmental monitoring are reshaping local waste management practices. Among the most notable outcomes of this transformation is the rise of women-led initiatives supported by state agencies.
