It took a group of determined volunteers just one day to pull out what years of civic neglect had dumped into the Yamaso river. The number says it all — 3,000 kilograms of waste, gone.
On World Nature Conservation Day, the Youth Mission for Clean River (YMCR), along with the Abralow Memorial Multipurpose Society and backed by the Itanagar Smart City Development Corporation Ltd, rolled up their sleeves and got to work at the Yamaso river in C-II Colony, Ward 10, Itanagar. The sight they walked into, by all accounts, was not a pretty one.
A River Choking in Plain Sight
The Yamaso, one of the sister rivers of the Yagamso, flows through the heart of Itanagar and converges near the end of IG Park — a spot most residents pass without a second thought. Volunteers participating in the clean-up drive removed approximately 3,000 kilograms of waste from the river over the course of the day. Three tonnes. From one stretch. On one day. That number alone should make every resident pause.
The Source of the Problem Isn’t Hard to Find
During the drive, volunteers observed a large heap of garbage accumulated between two multistorey residential buildings along the riverbank, with waste appearing to be dumped at the spot regularly — much of it eventually entering the river. This isn’t a mystery or an unsolved environmental puzzle. The garbage has a source, and it has an address. Local residents told volunteers that the occupants of the buildings had repeatedly disposed of waste in and around the river, and that complaints had been raised on several occasions — but the dumping had continued. A ward member at the site confirmed that notices had been issued to the buildings concerned. Nothing changed.
A Call to Step Up, Not Just Show Up
YMCR vice chairman Keyom Doni underlined the need for cleanliness and civic responsibility among citizens, and urged residents to take greater ownership of rivers and public spaces. He also spoke about the organisation’s ongoing work in running clean-up drives and awareness campaigns across Itanagar, pushing for the kind of public cooperation that makes these efforts more than a one-day event. His message was pointed — clean-up drives can remove the waste, but they cannot remove the attitude that created it.
Action Demanded Before More Damage Is Done
The organisers stated that such dumping poses serious risks to public health, biodiversity, and the environment, and formally appealed to the IMC mayor and the Ward 10 corporator to take action against those responsible and to prevent further illegal dumping in the area. The ball is now firmly in the administration’s court.
A river cleaned up in a day can be dirtied again overnight, if those in power choose to look away. The YMCR showed what community action looks like. Now, it’s time for authorities to show what accountability looks like.
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