From Our Correspondent
JOWAI, April 12: As part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Amlarem SDO (Civil) office, an exposure visit on waste management was conducted on April 11 to Mawlai Mawroh and the Marten Waste Processing and Disposal Site (MWPDS) in Shillong.
Organised under the Clean Amlarem Campaign in collaboration with the Urban Affairs Department and Swachh Bharat Mission, the visit marked 50 years of the Amlarem Sub-Division—the first in Meghalaya to reach this milestone. The initiative aimed to educate community leaders, women’s groups, and stakeholders on modern waste management practices for adoption in rural areas.
Cabinet Minister Lahkmen Rymbui and the local MLA attended the programme, where they highlighted the importance of systematic waste management and its potential for employment generation. Assistant Engineer of the Shillong Municipal Board, FB Chyne, provided a technical presentation on the Marten site, which has been operational since 1938.
Officials stated that Shillong generates approximately 200 tonnes of waste daily, with 185 tonnes processed at Marten. Of this, nearly 154 tonnes are recycled into compost and reusable materials. The site includes a compost plant, faecal sludge treatment plant, plasma incineration unit, bio-medical waste treatment facility, and a sanitary landfill. A bio-mining project is also underway to clear 3.45 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste.
Waste management at the site currently provides livelihoods for 88 individuals working as waste pickers and recyclers. Compost produced at the facility is sold at ₹5 per kg, primarily to government departments.
During the visit, participants were briefed on the Waste Management Rules 2026, which mandate the segregation of waste into four categories and require the monitoring of stakeholders. The 25 participants described the visit as a valuable learning experience and expressed their intent to implement improved waste management practices in Amlarem.
