Volunteers remove over 2 tonnes of waste from Yagamso river during Itanagar clean-up drive

More than two tonnes of waste were removed from the Yagamso river and its banks in Arunachal Pradesh's capital, Itanagar, during a community-led clean-up drive aimed at restoring the polluted waterbody and identifying the major sources of contamination.

The drive, held at Chandranagar on Sunday, August 2, was jointly organised by the Youth Mission for Clean River (YMCR) and the Abralow Memorial Multipurpose Society (AMMS), with support from the Itanagar Smart City Development Corporation Ltd (ISCDCL).

Volunteers collected a total of 2,160 kg of waste from the riverbed and surrounding areas before carrying out a detailed waste audit to assess the nature and sources of pollution affecting the river.

According to the organisers, the audit found that the waste largely comprised single-use plastics, packaging materials, construction debris, old clothes and household garbage, indicating widespread littering and improper disposal of domestic waste.

Speaking on the significance of the initiative, YMCR vice-chairman Keyom Doni said the waste audit would help identify the specific pollutants entering the river and the reasons behind the contamination.

"The audit allows us to move beyond simply removing waste to identifying what is polluting the river and why," Doni said, stressing the need for greater public awareness and stricter waste management practices to protect the river ecosystem.

He said the organisation plans to conduct similar clean-up drives regularly and will share the findings of the waste audit with local authorities and residents to promote sustainable waste management and prevent further pollution of the Yagamso river.