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Inauguration of Swatchta Pakhwada at Don Bosco College, Tura
Heeding the appeal of our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, and in collaboration with the Tura Municipal Board, the NSS Unit of Don Bosco College, Tura launched a fortnight’s cleanliness drive (Swatchta Pakhwada) on 1st August, 2018.
The inaugural programme was graced by West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Shri Ram Singh, IAS and Ms. Sabrella B Marak, the CEO of Tura Municipal Board.
Welcoming the guests of honour, Fr. Bivan Rodriques Mukhim, the Principal said it was a pleasure to collaborate with the district administration in such proactive programmes that enable students to become agents of change for the better. The Principal said it was his earnest endeavour to devote his energies to keep the college campus and the surroundings clean and green. He further said, he was confident that the NSS volunteers guided by their Coordinators, Sir Salkam Momin and Sir Suraj Pradhan would make this dream come true so as to declare Don Bosco College a ‘clean and green campus’. Fr. Bivan Mukhim, the Principal thanked Madam Sabrella for providing attractive dust-bins for the college campus.
Sir Suraj Pradhan, outlined the day-to-day activities that were planned for the entire fortnight which included a visit to Galwang-Chidakre, Babadaam – the adopted village of the college.
Ma’am Sabrella B Marak said there was no greater joy than to return to her Alma Mater, this time to enthuse students to be partners in maintaining a clean environment. The CEO of the Tura Municipal Board said that despite all the efforts made to engage in garbage collection, the dumping pits were in a deplorable condition. She said she had succeeded in providing dust-bins in every locality, and the task of segregating waste aided by litter bins was gradually picking up. She sought the help of NSS volunteers to identify persons or localities where open defecation was practiced. This would be a great service to the administration.
Guest of Honour Shri Ram Singh, the Deputy Commissioner said, by and large, villages in West Garo hills are clean. It is the picnic spots and ecologically fragile streams and water bodies that have become the dumping ground for liquor bottles. He said he had passed orders to garbage collectors to buy empty bottles, but it was becoming practically impossible to manage huge quantities collected over a long period of time. The D.C. said he would work at making the manufacturers and distributors responsible for recycling the bottles. Shri Ram Singh urged the students to not only take pictures of polluted areas and send them to him, but also to roll up their sleeves and be accountable and responsible about the way they dispose their garbage.
Other faculty members present on the occasion were Dr. Prabhat Mohanty, senior-most NSS Coordinator, Sister Mariola Sequeira and Ma’am Rani Aruldas.
Proposing the vote of thanks, Fr. Bivan R Mukhim, the Principal profusely thanked both the D.C. for altering his plans at short notice to accommodate the college programme and Madam Sabrella for always making herself available for any programme organized by the college. The Chief Guest gave away certificates to the NSS volunteers who attended the NSS programme recently.
The inaugural programme came to a close with the singing of the national anthem and light refreshments for all the NSS volunteers and invitees.
