Himalayan Clean-Up Campaign conducted at Sohra to spread awareness on the ill-effects of plastic

A REPORTER

SHILLONG: The second annual ‘Himalayan Clean-Up Campaign’ as part of a national campaign launched by the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) and Zero Waste Himalayas to create awareness on the ill-effects of plastic on the environment was organized on Saturday. The faculty and students of the Department of Environment and Traditional Ecosystems (DETE), along with student volunteers from the Department of Tourism and Travel Management (DTTM) and the Department of Psychology, Martin Luther Christian University, travelled to Dainthlen, Sohra and held the ‘Clean-Up Campaign’ in two locations — Dainthlen Falls and Weisawdong Falls.

The campaign was arranged by the Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong in collaboration with the Meghalaya Integrated Mountain Development Initiative (MIMDI), the State coordinator of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), Meghalaya; Urban Affairs Department, Meghalaya; and Shillong Municipal Board. The ‘Integrated Mountain Initiative’ (IMI) is a registered society devoted to the cause of environmental betterment in the Himalayas while ‘Zero Waste Himalayas’ is a non-governmental organisation.

The ultimate objective is to move towards a ‘Zero Plastic World’ in the 12 mountain States of the country including the north-eastern States and to adopt the traditional mode of food packaging thus reducing the dependence on plastic.

Also present during the event were TTC Marak, president of MIMDI, Sambor Hynniewta, IEC Consultant PHE Department, Government of Meghalaya, Lovingstar Kharchandy, Member Village CO of Laitduh village, the HoD and faculty of the Department of Environment and Traditional Ecosystems, MLCU along with several local villagers.

On completion of the cleaning drive, the waste collected was then segregated into various categories like PET bottles, multilayered packages, branded plastic products, non-branded plastic products, glass bottles and others. The segregated waste then went through a waste audit carried out by the student volunteers to get a comprehensive idea about the nature of waste generated. The waste was then sorted into categories in a process called ‘Brand Audit’ which involved the identification of brands most commonly preferred by people consequently contributing to waste after their utility is exhausted.

The event was held simultaneously in the 12 States, the reports of which will be compiled and submitted to the Minister, Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Government of India, New Delhi.

Also read: Meghalaya news