Itanagar, Jan 5: A staggering 12.96 tonnes of garbage were removed from Yagamso River during a cleanup drive here on Saturday.
The drive, organised by the Youth Mission for Clean River (YMCR) in collaboration with the Capital Police under their ‘Police Ajin’ initiative, a citizen-centric policing programme, saw enthusiastic participation from the local community, including members of the colony welfare committee, Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) corporator of Ward 10, ward members, and a large group of women police personnel.
The cleanup drive, supported by the Itanagar Smart City Development Corporation Limited and Abralow Memorial Multipurpose Society (AMMS), mobilised over 200 volunteers, including police officers, YMCR volunteers, and colony residents, a press release stated.
Capital SP Rohit Rajbir Singh, who actively participated in the cleanup, said the initiative was aimed at celebrating the New Year by demonstrating the Capital Police’s commitment to serving the community in various capacities. He commended YMCR for its consistent efforts in promoting sustainable living and organizing regular river cleanups.
“We hope that YMCR’s efforts will inspire a behavioural change towards sustainable living among the people,” the SP said.
YMCR chairman S D Loda expressed gratitude to the Capital Police for their partnership in the cleanup drive.
Loda urged the community to adopt sustainable practices saying, “We cannot solve the waste crisis without changing our behaviour. This cleanup is just one step. Real change will come when every individual starts segregating waste at their homes and refrains from polluting the environment.”
IMC corporator Yukar Yaro stressed on the importance of collective effort in keeping the city clean, acknowledging that the corporation alone cannot shoulder this responsibility. (PTI)
