Altogether 20 sanitation workers were felicitated by the state government for their invaluable contribution to the cause of cleanliness and sanitation at a function to mark the 9th anniversary of Swachhata Divas.
Urban Affairs Director Ethelbert Kharmalki, Commissioner Secretary Vijay Kumar D, Mission Director E Kharumnuid and others were present at the function.
Expressing concern on the challenges faced in keeping the city clean Kharmalki said, “Sooner or later we may have to impose penalty for violating for rules of cleanliness, for throwing garbage into the streets, for throwing garbage into the rivers.”
He pointed out that there are challenges in availability of land to have a scientific way of treatment of waste, scientific management of scraps. There is also a shift of focus not only on solid wastes, but also treatment of water-waste as well. This is a time now that we also concentrate from solid to liquid, he added.
Kharmalki lauded the sanitation workers and said they are unsung heroes. “Heroes are not extraordinary, but ordinary people who go on to do extraordinary works. They are the ones who have persevered and endured in the face of obstacles. They keep on doing the same thing every day, stick to their duties in sun and rain, in heat and in cold. And they have today, become the heroes for sanitation,” he said.
Kumar D urged people to take a pledge to contribute towards a cleaner city.
Speaking about the locality beautification competition initiative, he added, “We will upscale that program in the upcoming weeks. We will engage with all the garbhats, communities and the community leaders to create a vision for cleaning the city in a very systematic way. The Urban Affairs Department is doing several programs to fulfil this goal”.
The awards for Best Performing Boards were also presented to Shillong Municipal Board, Shillong Cantonment Board and the Jowai Municipal Board.
Earlier, the beautification of public buildings initiative and a cleaning drive was held at Motphran to highlight the community’s commitment to improving aesthetics and hygiene.
