Asia's Cleanest Village

Innovative SONALI NAGAR Minds asia’s cleanest village Mawlynnong AWLYNNONG is a small cleanest village in Asia in 2003 and The village was declared as eco-tourism village in the East cleanest village in India in 2005 by the cleanest village in Asia MKhasi Hills of Meghalaya Discover India magazine. As there is a bordering Bangladesh. It is renowned lack of medical facilities, cleanliness is in 2003 and cleanest village as the cleanest village in Asia. Villagers the only way to prevent the spread of in India in 2005 by Discover here play a crucial role in maintaining diseases. India magazine. the ambience of the clean village – and Paths are lined with fl owers, they adopted the habit of cleanliness as which contribute to the beauty of the every corner of the village. The waste a tradition not as an imposed activity. surrounding landscape. Bamboo is an collected is separated as organic and Tidying up the village is a regular important part of the local economy inorganic waste. Separate compost activity for everyone from the tiny tots in any part of the North East hence pits have been developed by villagers to the toothless grannies. The village is bamboo houses, bamboo handicrafts, in various pockets of the village for known for its cleanliness and practice etc. are common to the village. organic and inorganic waste. The of conserving the rich ecosystem. Beautifully woven bamboo-dustbins organic or biodegradable waste is The village was declared as the by the villagers can easily be seen in directed to a pit, which can then be used 58 SCIENCE REPORTER April 2017 Children in the village are taught about sanitation at an early age to keep the surrounding clean and green. They have been taught innovative and eco-friendly methods of harvesting rain water in natural stone basins. Villagers place a large rock with a cavity in its centre outside their houses to collect rain water. Residents of the village are eco- friendly and are encouraged to use as a manure or fertiliser in farms and Apart from their routine activities, traditional natural materials like cultivation. they voluntarily perform activities like bamboo, rather than concrete, for building their houses. Workshops are Almost every leaf fallen from sweeping the roads and lanes, watering also conducted by the village council the tree and every piece of litter is the plants and cleaning the drain, and to make people aware of the harmful immediately dumped into the bamboo- planting trees on a regular basis. effects of global warming. dustbins. One can easily fi nd signboards The main occupation of the instructing visitors to keep the place villagers is agriculture. They cultivate The village has other interesting clean. Use of plastic bags and smoking and derive their income from betel nut, places also such as a natural balancing is banned while rainwater harvesting is broom corn, black pepper, berries, bay rock, living root bridges – an extension adopted by all villagers. leaf and delicious fruits like oranges, of Ficus elastica tree (rubber tree), forming a natural living bridge across Children in the village are taught lemon, pineapple and the local soshang streams, symbolising a living example about sanitation at an early age to keep fruit. The locals make wooden artefacts of sustainable engineering. the surrounding clean and green. They from bamboo trees, and sell them have been taught innovative and eco- as decorative items also. Another The villagers have toilets in their friendly methods of harvesting rain interesting feature is the “Sky View”, houses and practice good sanitation water in natural stone basins. Villagers which is a 85-90 ft high bamboo habits. They also have a clear vision place a large rock with a cavity in its structure created with bamboo and of cleanliness and follow effi cient and centre outside their houses to collect natural ropes offering an amazing view sustainable ways of preserving the rich rain water. of the Bangladesh plains. natural environment. 59 SCIENCE REPORTER April 2017.

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