ITANAGAR, 6 Jul: To mark the Van Mahotsav Week, a joint effort by NGOs in Itanagar resulted in clean-up of the Yagamso River at the Energy Park here, and a tree plantation drive at government secondary school Chimpu.
The clean-up drive, organised by the Youth Mission for Clean River (YMCR) and the Abralow Memorial Multipurpose Society, was supported by the Itanagar Smart City Development Corporation Limited.
Collaboration with the All Aka Students’ Union (AASU), the Poma Panchayat Youth Welfare Society (PPYWS), and No 1 Yaariyaan further strengthened the initiative.
Intern students from Dehradun colleges, currently undergoing social internship with the YMCR, also actively participated in the cleaning effort.
AASU general secretary Kamu Degio, leading a team from Bichom district, highlighted the union’s commitment to environmental causes. Inspired by participating in a previous YMCR clean-up drive, Degio commended its leadership in river conservation efforts.
PPYWS convener Techi Chokam said that participating in the YMCR’s drives has been a valuable learning experience for his team. He outlined the PPWYS’ efforts to conserve ecological diversity and protect rivers in Poma panchayat, Itanagar’s drinking water source.
Chokam addressed the growing problem of waste generation due to the area’s popularity as an ecotourism and picnic spot. He appealed to visitors to be more environmentally responsible and minimise waste generation during recreational activities.
The PPYWS also provided a Tata mobile vehicle for loading the garbage collected during the clean-up drive and transporting it to the Hollongi dumping ground.
YMCR vice chairman Keyom Doni expressed gratitude to all participating organisations. He encouraged replication of the clean-up drive efforts in other communities, and advocated waste segregation at homes to minimise waste generation.
The clean-up was followed by a plantation drive at GSS Chimpu, where over 30 ornamental and fruit tree saplings were planted. The drive was held in collaboration with the school authorities, and saw the participation of the school’s students and YMCR interns.
