𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙠 𝙑𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝘼𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙀𝙭𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨, 𝙁𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙉𝘾𝙀𝙍𝙏 𝙏𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠

EP DESK, PASIGHAT, 26 JUNE: Silluk, a village located in the Mebo Adc Subdivision of East Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh, India, has achieved national attention and acclaim for its remarkable transformation into a model of cleanliness and sustainable waste management practices, earning a spot in the class III Environmental Studies (EVS) textbook published by the National Council of Educational research and Training (NCERT). This inclusion in Chapter 12, “Taking Charge of Waste”, highlights Silluk’s remarkable transformation from Gobar basti to a zero-waste locality. The village’s success is attributed to a strong community-led initiative known as the “swachh silluk abhiyan”, spearheaded by individuals like Mr. Kepang Nong Borang. Some main points to maintain the sanitariness of the village includes waste segregation, transparent dustbin usage, composting of organic waste and recycling of usable materials, silluk has also partnered with organisations like the Green Squad for waste collection. Initial challenges, such as non-compliance from cattle owners were addressed through measures like strict cattle fencing system and fines, which ultimately led to a change in behaviour. Furthermore, to maintain the sanitariness, regular cleanliness drives are performed with at least one member from each household, along with mega clean-drives every second day of the month, ensure consistent cleanliness and residents actively plant and care for trees and flowers, clean stagnant water, maintain toilets, contributing to the village’s aesthetic appeal. Silluk's consistent efforts have earned it the Chief Minister's Award for the Cleanest Village in the district on three occasions, and the Naturenomics Award from the Balipara Foundation in 2023. The recent recognition in the NCERT textbook marks a new milestone, positioning Silluk as a national model for rural cleanliness and sustainable living. ChiefMinister Pema Khandu and local MLA Oken Tayeng have extended their congratulations to the people of Silluk, emphasizing the village's demonstration of true community spirit and its inspiring message that “change begins at home”.