ZIRO, OCT 7:
Ziro is gearing up for the annual ‘Clean Kley River Mass Social Service 2026’, with preparatory cleaning activities scheduled from November 8 to 12, followed by a mass social service on November 13.
A coordination meeting chaired by SDO-cum-DC In-charge Hage Tarung was held at the District Secretariat here on Wednesday to finalise preparations for the campaign, which will cover around 19 km of the Kley River.
Tarung stressed collective participation of Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members, government departments and other stakeholders, and called for assigning specific river stretches to Zilla Parishad Members (ZPMs) for sustained responsibility and upkeep.
Apatani Youth Association (AYA) president Subu Oppo Sala, while reviewing previous editions, proposed the revised multi-day programme. AYA volunteers and hired labourers will undertake preliminary cleaning and preparatory activities from November 8 to 12, culminating in the mass social service on November 13.
The meeting decided that Works departments would contribute either 50 labourers or Rs 50,000 each, while other government departments would provide Rs 10,000 each as voluntary support. Various individuals and organisations also pledged monetary and material assistance for the campaign.
Discussions also focused on long-term measures to maintain the river, including beautification of riverbanks, installation of dustbins and barricades, and development of suitable stretches as self-sustaining tourist destinations.
Urban Development and Housing Executive Engineer Tai Sangkio assured the supply of gloves and polythene bags for the drive and stressed the need to protect riverbank areas and provide adequate public amenities.
The AYA has been tasked with monitoring the river after the campaign, with strict penalties proposed against those found dumping waste or animal carcasses into the river.
The meeting was attended by ZPMs, district officers, representatives of ITBP and police, market communities, senior students and other stakeholders. Participants resolved to make the campaign a sustained and community-driven initiative for keeping the Kley River clean.
