Mass cleanliness drives mark Gandhi Jayanti

ITANAGAR, Oct 2: ‘Cleanliness is next to godliness’ – keeping this popular proverb in mind, the capital dwellers – both males and females, young and old alike – today came out to the streets with various implements in their hands to make their surroundings neat and clean.
The otherwise littered sector roads of the capital city wore a clean look as thousands of senior citizens, officers, public, market committees members and students came out in large numbers to join the mass social services organized in all the 30 wards of Itanagar Municipal Council to mark the Gandhi Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
The littered sector roads were cleaned, drains unclogged, dustbins cleaned, weeds and grasses cleared off among many other works. Everyone under the supervision of respective Ward Councillors and their ward members participated with enthusiasm. The shops remained closed in the morning as shopkeepers too joined in the cleanliness drive.

Higio Aruni, Chief Councillor, IMC visited the wards including her own ward (No. 11) and interacted with the participants. She urged everyone to maintain the basic civic sense to make Itanagar a clean and green city.
The only setback being the sanitation pickup vehicle not reporting on time even as people waited till afternoon with garbage piled up. The Ward Councillors had to hire the vehicles on their own or use their own vehicle for garbage disposal.
She however appreciated the initiative of State govt and senior officers of the govt for formulating such worthy strategy. She also thanked the senior officers of the departments including Taba Tedir, Chief Engineer cum Director, UD & Housing, Amoy Morang, Director, Town Planning and Urban Local Bodies, Er Talo Potom, Chief Estate Officer cum ADM for providing financial and material aids.
Today’s social services were also conducted by various organizations and individuals on their own at various establishments and colonies to mark the Gandhi Jayanti.
At the Arunachal State Hospital, Naharlagun, around 300 members of the Arunachal West Youth Association along with the doctors of the hospital enthusiastically cleared the hospital campus including the blocked clogged drains and dustbins.
More than 300 participants including students of various schools took part in a mass cleanliness cum sanitation drive organized by Kaniar Gida, Councillor of Ward No. 16 to mark the Gandhi Jayanti. Capital Complex CEO cum ADM Talo Potom and IMC member secretary Likha Suraj also visited the area to encourage the participants. Earlier in the morning, the participants paid floral tributes at the portrait of the father of the nation.
Similarly, another mass social service was conducted by Takio Mohan, Councillor of Ward No. 15 to facelift the colony roads, market places and clear the clogged drains.
To commemorate the 144th birth anniversary of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi and 109th birth anniversary of former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri, the Councillor of Ward No. 5 Taba Yall Nabam also organized a mass social service cum cleanliness drive from RK Mission Hospital to Vivek Vihar market area.
The Nirjuli Market Welfare Committee comprising of all traders and supervised by Councillor (of Ward No. 29) Tarh Nachung also cleaned up the Nirjuli market area.
Cleanliness drives were also conducted at Barapani, Takar Colony and Pachin Colony under Municipal Ward No. 20 wherein Councillor Techi Rupa led the participants including colony members, schoolchildren and teachers of Govt Secondary School, Pachin Colony and Govt Middle School, Barapani.
At G-Extension, Damsite (Naharlagun), Councilor Tame Kunia and the local citizens participated in the social service by cleaning the waterlogged drainages, repairing the sectoral roads.
Under the Municipal Ward No. 2, the Councillor Tatung Tania alongwith the members of All Gohpur Youth Association, Gohpur Area Youth Forum and members of the ward had cleaned and renovated the APMC marketing shed at Gohpur Tinali.
Mass cleanness drive was organized under Ward No. 7 of Itanagar Municipal Council under the leadership of Ngurang Yache, Empowered Standing Committee member on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. The programme was attended by all the Ward Committee members of Division-IV, Senki Park, Senki View and Lobi.
The City unit of People’s Party of Arunachal alongwith the teachers and Scouts & Guides of Govt Higher Secondary School, Arunodaya also conducted a social service at the school campus.
The Itanagar Buddhist Cultural Society (IBCS) in collaboration with All Arunachal Pradesh Anti Drug Youth Organization and Capital Monpa Students’ Union too conducted a cleanliness drive at the Gompa premises. The IBCS has appealed all visitors not to litter, smoke and consume alcohol at the Gompa surroundings.