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Volunteers collecting garbage from the riverbed upstream Etitzüba, a perennial stream and a tributary of Milak river at Mopungchuket village on March 10. (Morung photo)
Morung Express News
Mopungchuket | March 10
Upping the ante in their fight against plastic pollution and their continued effort towards keeping the village plastic-free, Mopungchuket villagers today undertook a “river cleanup” exercise which saw the participation of volunteers from all sections of the village community.
The cleanup undertaken today saw the participation of 153 volunteers who cleaned up Etitzüba, a perennial stream that originates right from the village and flow about 5 kilometers northward until it empties into the Milak River. Etitzüba is a “reserved river” that does not share boundaries with other neighbouring village territories.
The cleanup was initiated by the Youth Ministry of Mopungchuket Baptist Church in association with The Greensight. Etitzüba is a pristine perennial stream rich with aquatic resources and some exotic plants that contributes to its diverse riverine ecosystem and attract birds and wild animals. A tributary of the Milak River, Etitzüba is also blessed with scenic beauty ideal for trekking trails and has five waterfalls in its course that has the potential to attract outdoor enthusiasts and trekkers.
The 153 volunteers comprised of members from the Youth Ministry, MALT, several SHGs, the Mopungchuket Medemsanger Putu and Village Council, Mopungchuket Baptist Church, Mejensanger Lanur, Watsü and well-wishers.
The volunteers were divided into three groups who cleaned up the whole stretch of the stream during their 7-hour exercise. The volunteers collected around 2.7 metric tons of wastes. Although no waste audit was done, it was observed that 60% of the wastes consisted of textile, 30% plastic PET bottles and the rest consisted of multi-layered packaging wrappers and other waste items.
The participants and the village community pledged to keep the river system clean, pollution-free and to reserve Etitzüba in its purest natural form. The participants took home the message of impacting the society with this exercise and to continue to be brand ambassadors of cleanliness.
The Greensight Project has meanwhile proposed to build a “trash trap” at the mouth of the stream to keep garbage from polluting the river ecosystem of Etitzüba. To realize this, The Greensight Project has appealed to well-wishers and responsible agencies soliciting their active cooperation and contribution.
