ITANAGAR, Mar 4: In a bid to ensure a cleaner and more organized city, Mayor Tamme Phassang conducted a surprise inspection and joined the cleanliness drive across Wards 1 to 12 under the jurisdiction of the Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) on Tuesday morning. The Mayor was joined by IMC Commissioner Kego Jilen, officials, and Corporators, beginning the inspection at 6 AM. The initiative aimed to assess the effectiveness of sanitation efforts, monitor staff performance, and evaluate the operational efficiency of the IMC.
During the inspection, Mayor Phassang emphasized the importance of maintaining cleanliness and warned that all shops must have dustbins. If any shop is found without one and garbage is found in its vicinity, fines will be imposed. He also stressed the need to clean festival grounds after events, stating that penalties would be enforced under National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines if proper sanitation measures were not followed. Assuring continued vigilance, he affirmed that such surprise inspections would be conducted regularly to ensure strict compliance.
The Mayor called upon the public to actively support cleanliness efforts, asserting that maintaining a clean and green capital is a shared responsibility. He urged the National Highways Authority to contribute to cleanliness maintenance along the highways and pointed out specific areas requiring clearance. Additionally, he sought cooperation from the Traffic Police Cell in enforcing sanitation regulations. Unregulated posting of bills, billboards, and hoardings would also be subject to fines, he warned.
To streamline waste disposal, the IMC has set fixed garbage collection hours from 5 AM to 10 AM in the morning and from 2 PM onward in the afternoon. He issued a stern warning that anyone found disposing of garbage outside these designated hours would face fines. Expressing concern over the irresponsible habit of throwing waste from moving vehicles, both private and commercial, he emphasized the need for a mindset shift among citizens to achieve a cleaner and greener Itanagar.
Acknowledging the challenges posed by a shortage of manpower and machinery, Mayor Phassang reassured that Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) Minister Balo Raja have assured full support in strengthening municipal resources. He concluded by emphasizing that with collective efforts from the government and the public, a cleaner and healthier capital city can be achieved.
