[ Prem Chetry ]
BOMDILA, 6 Jun: In a display of community action and environmental stewardship, the residents of Sangti village in West Kameng district came together on Thursday for the Himalayan Cleanup 2025, organised for the third time in Sangti by NGO Northeast Waste Collective.
What made this year’s cleanup remarkable was the unprecedented collective participation: one member from every household joined the effort. From elders to children, shopkeepers to homestay owners, gram panchayat members to village headmen – residents turned out in large numbers, united by a shared goal of protecting their river valley and demanding accountability from top polluters.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) played a vital role, with 50 jawans from the 4th Battalion, Dirang joining the cleanup. Volunteers were divided into mixed teams, each comprising local villagers and ITBP personnel, and
were assigned designated areas to clean – including areas along the river and streams where waste had accumulated.
The Dirang river, which flows through Sangti, carries significant waste downstream from upstream settlements that currently lack waste management systems. Additionally, with tourism in Sangti no longer confined to a season, the pressure on the region’s natural ecosystems has increased. Many volunteers waded into the cold river and the streams to remove entangled waste – an act that reflected the community’s commitment to protecting their valley.
A key highlight was the brand audit, carried out by 30 students of Sangti Government Middle School. This hands-on exercise, central to the Himalayan Cleanup movement, empowered students to examine the waste they collected, identifying corporate brands responsible for the non-recyclable plastic packaging. The activity encouraged reflection on consumption patterns and a growing call for extended producer responsibility, urging companies to take back their waste from these ecologically sensitive regions.
The cleanup also drew volunteers from outside the state, including students from St Joseph’s University, Bangalore, and researchers from the Wildlife Institute of India, who joined the effort in both the cleanup and brand audit.
Importantly, the entire event was conducted as a zero-waste event. All participants used reusable gloves, and the ITBP prepared and served snacks in reusable cutlery, ensuring that no additional waste was generated during the day.
The Himalayan Cleanup 2025 in Sangti highlighted the power of collective action, where villagers, institutions, and uniformed forces joined hands not just to clean, but to question. As plastic continues to flood remote ecosystems, Sangti’s community has sent a clear message: it’s time for brands to take responsibility for the waste they leave behind.