Shillong, October 2: Meghalaya marked Gandhi Jayanti on Friday with a mass cleanliness drive covering nearly 100 kilometres from Nongpoh to Sohra, alongside an official tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at the Main Secretariat in Shillong.
The cleanliness drive was organised by the Directorate of Urban Affairs through the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) as part of the nationwide Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign under the theme “Ek Din, Ek Saath, Ek Ghanta.”
Students, colleges, Dorbar Shnongs, community-based organisations, government departments and other stakeholders participated in the initiative.
Addressing the programme, Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar said the campaign was aimed at bringing about lasting change in Meghalaya’s cleanliness and civic environment through public participation and behavioural change.
He said the Swachh Bharat Mission should not be viewed merely as a government cleanliness programme but as a people’s movement aimed at strengthening civic responsibility. “No one can do it, but everyone can do it,” Dhar said, stressing that cleanliness cannot be achieved by the government alone and requires participation from all sections of society.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government is seeking closer convergence between urban and rural departments, local communities, youth, women, schools and other stakeholders to strengthen cleanliness initiatives across the state, particularly in Shillong.
He urged citizens to develop cleanliness as a regular habit and take responsibility for their own streets, villages, towns and cities instead of treating waste management solely as the responsibility of the government.
Dhar also highlighted efforts to improve solid waste management infrastructure in Meghalaya. He said locations including Jowai, Tura and Nongpoh were among those where landfill facilities were being considered or identified, with the aim of providing towns and cities with scientific waste-management systems in the coming years.
He called for greater public cooperation in setting up landfill facilities and said opposition often arose from misconceptions surrounding such projects.
The government is also exploring convergence with rural development programmes and other schemes to develop waste-management infrastructure in larger villages and provide organised systems for garbage collection and disposal, he said. “This is our road, this is our village, this is our city, this is our State,” Dhar said, calling for a stronger sense of collective ownership.
He added that cleanliness efforts would also be strengthened in schools through greater coordination with principals, headmen and communities to promote proper waste collection and disposal practices.
Noting Meghalaya’s growing profile as a tourist destination, Dhar said maintaining a clean natural and civic environment was essential to sustaining the state’s appeal to visitors.
As part of the programme, the Deputy Chief Minister flagged off 24 vehicles, including 18 small vehicles and six trucks.
Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya S.C. Sadhu, IAS, Shillong Municipal Board CEO P.K. Boro, senior government officials, the Mawlai C&RD Block BDO, CRP officials, students, residents of Mawlai-Mawiong and other stakeholders attended the programme.
Meanwhile, the state government separately observed Gandhi Jayanti by paying floral tribute to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Main Secretariat, Rilang Building.
Principal Secretary of Arts and Culture and Home (Police) F.R. Kharkongor, Commissioner and Secretary Vijay Kumar Mantri, Meghalaya Administrative Training Institute Director Swapnil Tembe, along with senior officers and Secretariat staff, paid their respects to the Father of the Nation.
The observance commemorated Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary and recalled his ideals of truth, peace and non-violence, while officers and staff reaffirmed the continued relevance of his principles to public service.
