Likha Nari Tadar walked into Lok Bhavan on Sunday as the Mayor of Itanagar. She walked out wearing one of the state’s most prestigious medallions — and carrying a governor’s ambitious blueprint for the city’s future.
A Recognition That Means More Than a Medal
On August 3, Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen K.T. Parnaik (Retd.) presented the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ Medallion for Excellence to Itanagar Municipal Corporation (IMC) Mayor Likha Nari Tadar. The award, given at Lok Bhavan, recognises her sustained effort to improve urban infrastructure, sanitation and civic services across the state capital. It’s a big deal. The ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ medallion isn’t handed out every other week — it’s the kind of recognition that says this work actually mattered. Governor Parnaik didn’t just pin the medal and move on. He used the moment to lay out, in considerable detail, what he wants Itanagar to become.
A Vision Called ‘Zero Litter Itanagar’
Parnaik pushed hard for what he called a ‘Zero Litter Itanagar Mission’ — and he clearly had specifics in mind. Think CCTV surveillance, spot fines, citizen reporting mechanisms and public awareness drives working together. Not just slogans, but systems. He also called for 100 per cent waste segregation at source, meaning every household, hotel, restaurant, institution and market in the Capital Complex would need to separately handle wet, dry and hazardous waste. Anyone who’s walked past a roadside garbage pile in Itanagar knows just how far the city still has to go — which is exactly why a mission like this, if taken seriously, could be transformative.
Plastic Out, Bamboo In
One of the more striking proposals from the Governor was a push toward a genuinely plastic-free capital. He called for phasing out single-use plastics entirely and replacing them with bamboo, cane and other eco-friendly alternatives. For a state as richly endowed with natural resources as Arunachal, this actually makes sense — and it’s the kind of policy that could become a model for the rest of the Northeast if the IMC pulls it off.
Tourism Corridors and Community Power
Parnaik also spoke about developing clean tourism corridors from Hollongi Airport to major destinations in the city — better public toilets, improved signage, landscaping, street lighting and proper waste disposal facilities along the way. He didn’t stop there. Ward cleanliness committees, school green brigades, youth volunteers and self-help groups were all part of his vision for community participation. Mayor Tadar, for her part, briefed the Governor on the IMC’s current work — sanitation improvements, waste management upgrades and ongoing civic infrastructure projects — reaffirming the corporation’s commitment to building a more liveable city.
The Goal is Clear — Now Comes the Hard Part
Governor Parnaik expressed confidence that these initiatives could place Itanagar among the cleanest state capitals in the Northeast, while also boosting tourism and public health in line with the vision of Viksit Arunachal and Viksit Bharat 2047. It’s an inspiring target. But anyone who knows urban governance knows the real test isn’t in the speeches at Lok Bhavan — it’s in what happens on the streets of Naharlagun, Nirjuli and the Capital Complex in the months ahead. Mayor Tadar has the recognition. Now she has the mandate. The city is watching.
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