Continuing with a tradition begun in 2018, the Meghalaya Integrated Mountain Development Initiative (MIMDI), the state chapter of the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI), organized The Himalayan Clean-up (THC) 2022 on Saturday to draw attention to the perils of non-biodegradable waste that jeopardises the environment and health of the people.
The cleaning drive, in Nongmynsong, witnessed the whole-hearted and enthusiastic participation of members of the Nongmensong Dorbar, faculty and students from the Department of Environment and Traditional Ecosystems of Martin Luther Christian University (MLCU), police officers and others.
Solid waste, including single-use plastics, were collected and volunteers then conducted ‘waste and brand’ auditing of the garbage in order to identify the major polluting brands that attract the provisions of the Extended Producers Responsibility as laid down in the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.
President of MIMDI, TTC Marak outlined the objective of the clean-up and rationale behind organizing the event all across the Indian Himalayan region. Marak called for greater awareness and behavioural change in tackling the menace of single-use plastic in our day-to-day life.
L Kharpuri, the Dean of Research at MLCU, explained the importance of waste and brand auditing while D Khonglah, deputy headman of Nongmensong Dorbar urged residents of the locality to shun the use of plastic and help to keep the locality clean.
Swapnil Pawar the officer in charge of Rynjah Police Station called for waste minimization and underscored the need for auditing of waste which should be done in every locality.
