SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Government today convened a Consultative Meeting with Rangbah Shnongs (headmen) and locality leaders from across the Greater Shillong Planning Area to strengthen collaboration on urban governance and civic management.
The meeting, organized by the Department of Urban Affairs at the State Convention Centre, Shillong, saw the official launch of “Mission Clean Shillong 2027”, a flagship initiative aimed at transforming Shillong into one of the cleanest and most sustainable cities in the Northeast.
The event was attended by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar, Chief Secretary Dr. Shakil Ahammed, and Commissioner and Secretary Dr. Vijay Kumar D, along with officials from the Urban Affairs Department, Shillong Municipal Board (SMB), and the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
Mission Clean Shillong 2027: A Comprehensive Vision
The newly launched Mission Clean Shillong 2027 focuses on creating litter-free localities, achieving 100 percent waste processing, and completely remediating legacy waste at the Marten landfill through bio-mining. The initiative also includes plans for tech-based monitoring systems, citizen-led cleaning drives, and stronger accountability mechanisms between traditional institutions and civic agencies.
In his keynote address, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma underscored the importance of partnership between traditional institutions and the government in addressing the city’s growing urban challenges.
“The purpose of these meetings is not just to point out what is not working, but to ask what we can do together to make things better. When the community, the government, and the leadership come together, there is nothing we cannot achieve,” said Sangma.
He emphasized that the state government is keen to institutionalize regular engagement with locality leaders to ensure sustainable progress. “We may not be perfect, but we are trying very hard. Because of your interventions, many things have improved — from sanitation to lighting and waste management — but a lot more still needs to be done,” he added.
Key Announcements and Priorities
The Chief Minister outlined several urban improvement priorities, including:
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CCTV installation and street lighting upgrades across major localities;
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Systematic drainage clearing and flood prevention measures;
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City beautification and maintenance to become continuous processes rather than one-time projects;
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Upcoming discussions on river cleaning and drug abuse prevention to ensure tangible community outcomes.
Sangma further revealed that the first phase of CCTV installation, covering 48 localities with 250 cameras, will be completed by the end of November. The Shillong Municipal Board will act as the sole maintenance agency for both CCTVs and street lights, resolving previous jurisdictional overlaps.
Progress and Funding Updates
Presenting the department’s progress report, officials from the Urban Affairs Department noted that since the launch of the Clean Shillong Mission in July 2025, sanitation manpower has increased by 50 percent, and drain cleaning and waste management systems have seen significant improvement. Nearly half of the 3.5 lakh metric tons of legacy waste at Marten has already been treated through bio-mining, with the compost reused as manure in collaboration with the Agriculture Department.
Additional updates included river rejuvenation work, new parking and vendor-relocation projects, and on-street parking systems across various localities.
Funds were also released to 14 localities under an outcome-based model to promote innovative beautification projects and citizen participation. The Chief Minister distributed cheques under the scale-up fund to these localities, encouraging them to undertake initiatives such as boundary-wall painting drives and coordinated colour schemes to enhance Shillong’s visual appeal.
Strengthening Community Policing and Urban Safety
An interactive session between the Chief Minister and headmen allowed open dialogue on infrastructure, safety, cleanliness, and urban management. Among the new measures announced were:
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Expansion of Village Defense Party (VDP)-style volunteer programmes to strengthen community policing and combat drug abuse;
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Traffic management reforms to reduce congestion;
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Public toilet expansion and CSR-supported maintenance partnerships in key commercial zones.
Towards a Cleaner, Greener Shillong
Concluding the meeting, the Chief Minister reiterated his government’s commitment to working hand-in-hand with traditional institutions and citizens.
“Let us continue to work as a team to make Shillong clean, green, and a much more livable city,” Sangma said.
