Shillong, March 09: In a first for any government to spearhead a long term green and clean campaign, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today launched the My City Campaign in Shillong, a community cleaning drive campaign that would not be a one time affair but continue round the year with funding being assured from the government side for this initiative.
The chief minister also unveiled the ‘Reimagining Streets’ initiative and participated in a cleaning drive at Dhanketi locality of the city.
Addressing the “eco warriors” of the city who turned out in large numbers to take part in the campaign to keep Shillong clean and later gathered at Moreau Institute of Integral Training (MIIT), Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma ackowledged that different groups, individuals and departments have been doing activities in their own capacity and there was a need to bring the efforts of everyone together.
“This cleaning drive that we had today is something that we want to do every three months because it is in our communities and our culture to keep our localities and villages clean,” he said and added that many villages and localities do it on their own without any support.
“For the first time the government is taking this culture forward where funds will be provided every three months for this particular purpose,” he said.
He also added that this initiative will first take place in every district headquarter before slowly percolating to every village in the state.
The Chief Minister reminded that the idea is not about the fact that one day will clean up the entire city or town but to bring about a change in the mind set of the people.
“Every time we clean we have to start realising that we all have a role to play. Let every citizen take the responsibility to ensure that we keep our surroundings clean and litter free,” he said.
He acknowledged that the students and the youth have a great role in this campaign and said, “Youth, when they take up a movement it can be very powerful,” and added that the larger goal is to mobilise the citizens of the state to keep the cities and towns clean.
Further he said that the objective of the Reimagining Streets initiative is to make the streets walkable and said, “We have an ambitious plan to create 10-15 kilometres of walkable footpaths, broadening existing footpaths wherever possible, tiling and paving the footpaths to increase the overall connectivity to encourage walking among the citizens,” he said.
Sangma also highlighted some interventions like underground conduit for cables, painting of buildings, construction of footpaths etc to improve the aesthetic look of the cities, informing that the audience of the various programs and projects of the government to make the State and its cities, towns and villages clean, liveable and the best.
The Chief Minister also distributed KickStart cheques to different community representatives and also released the Reimagining Streets Initiative Booklet during the occasion.
College students, members of the NCC and NSS, members of different Dorbar Shnongs and members of self-help groups were also present during the occasion.
