During the recent social service conducted by the Youth Mission for Clean River (YMCR) to clean the Barapani river, massive amounts of waste were removed. More than 60 volunteers cleared plastic and household wastes from the river and its surrounding drains and streams. This once again highlights the issue of how rivers of the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) are increasingly becoming very dirty, threatening the aquatic life. The ICR is blessed with many rivers and streams. Sadly, in the last 20 years, these rivers and streams have been turned into dumping grounds of waste.
Drains are directly released into these water bodies without following any norms. The situation is so bad that many of the streams and rivers are on the verge of turning into deadly polluted drains. The recklessness of citizens and the carelessness of the state government have both combined to pose a serious threat to the very existence of these water bodies. Time is fast running out. Although it is already too late, there is an urgent need to take decisive steps to save the rivers and streams of the ICR.