SHILLONG, OCT 7: Minister of Health & Family Welfare Wailadmiki Shylla on Tuesday said the state government is fully committed to conserving the environment through proper and scientific waste management in the spirit of the state policy.
Addressing at the closing ceremony of Swachhata Hi Seva 2025, Shylla said, “Our state is among the first in the country to have a solid waste management policy and strategy, which was notified in 2019, and the vision of the policy is to strive toward zero waste. All the towns and cities of the state also have their own city solid waste action plans and city sanitation action plans, which were appraised of and approved by the Swachh Bharat Mission. As a state government, we are also deeply concerned about the overall maintenance of cleanliness and the management of waste, especially with the rise in tourist footfall and the upcoming National Games in 2027.”
The minister informed that, despite the hindrances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, waste collection efficiency has increased from less than 50% in 2019 to about 83% in 2025.
Similarly, the level of segregation at source has risen from less than 30% in 2019 to 70% during the current year. The state’s waste processing capacity now stands at 68%, compared to less than 2% in 2019. Processing plants have been set up in all urban towns of the state with a total capacity of 215 tonnes per day.
These facilities will convert biodegradable waste into compost and sort non-biodegradable waste into various forms of recyclable material.
Lauding the dedication of sanitation workers who ensure that the state remains neat and clean, the minister said, “Today, we celebrate our collective effort to make our towns and cities clean and livable, and we shall also pledge to continue our effort to further improve the overall aesthetic of our state. Today, we also acknowledge the service of unknown faces who work not for glory or fame, but with a feeling of responsibility for their own surroundings. By honoring these special people, we intend to showcase examples that each one of us should rise toward in the true spirit of Swachhata Hi Seva.”
Organized by the urban affairs department and Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, in collaboration with the Shillong Municipal Board (SMB), the Swachhata Hi Seva Campaign 2025, witnessed a series of significant activities aimed at creating awareness about cleanliness and inculcating a sense of responsibility among citizens.
In his speech, Chief Secretary Shakil P Ahammed said, “Let’s work together. I appeal sincerely and request parents, teachers, children and everybody to work together and make our state the most beautiful, most clean, most hygienic, most flourishing state. We should be a beacon of hope for other parts of the country.”
Later, the minister also presented awards to 10 sanitation workers for their dedication of the sanitation to keep the city clean.
Awards were presented to 4 unsung heroes who are silently working to keep the surrounding clean and green by taking significant steps day-by-day – Shynnaki Dkhar from Nongkynrih, West Jaintia Hills, Deba Prasad Ghosh from Upper Mawprem, East Khasi Hills, Raju Najiar from Dulong West Jaintia Hills District and Aiborlang Lyngdoh Marshillong from Nongstoin.
They were each presented with a memento and a cash prize of Rs 20,000.
The highlight of the programme was the exchange of an MoU between the Shillong Municipal Board and five other Urban Local Bodies of the state under the Swachh Shehar Jodi (SSJ) initiative. The objective of this MoU is to support and improve Swachhata performance across the state through collaboration between the mentor city, Shillong, and the mentee Urban Local Bodies.
The partnership will focus on enhancing effectiveness through various interventions, including capacity building and training, exposure visits, community and stakeholder engagement, and other collaborative activities.The initiative was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) as part of the continuous evolution of Swachh Survekshan (SS) under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U). The Swachh Shehar Jodi aims to institutionalize structured mentorship, peer learning, and collaborative action between mentor and mentee cities within the same state.
The audience was treated to a cultural performance – Shad Pliang, and a song by Khasi band “Na u Bnai”.
By Our Reporter
