ASIA’S CLEANEST VILLAGE
Mawlynnong
M
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AWLYNNONG is a small
eco-tourism village in the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya bordering Bangladesh.
It is renowned as the cleanest village in Asia. Villagers here play a crucial
role in maintaining the ambience of the clean village - and they adopted the
habit of cleanliness as a tradition not as an imposed activity.
Tidying up the village is a regular
activity for everyone from the tiny tots to the toothless grannies. The village
is known for its cleanliness and practice of conserving the rich ecosystem.
The village was declared as the
cleanest village in Asia in 2003 and cleanest village in India in 2005 by
Discover India magazine. As there is a lack of medical facilities, cleanliness
is the only way to prevent the spread of diseases.
Paths are lined with flowers, which
contribute to the beauty of the surrounding landscape. Bamboo is an important
part of the local economy in any part of the North East hence bamboo houses,
bamboo handicrafts, etc. are common to the village. Beautifully woven
bamboo-dustbins by the villagers can easily be seen in every corner of the
village. The waste collected is separated as organic and inorganic waste.
Separate compost pits have been developed by villagers in various pockets of
the village for organic and inorganic waste. The organic or biodegradable waste
is directed to a pit, which can then be used as a manure or fertilizer in farms
and cultivation.
The village was
declared as the cleanest village in Asia in 2003 and
Cleanest village in India in
2005 by Discover India magazine.
Almost
every leaf fallen from the tree and every piece of litter is immediately dumped
into the bamboo-dustbins. One an easily find signboards instructing visitors to
keep the place clean. Use of plastic bags and smoking is banned while rainwater
harvesting is adopted by all villagers.
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.
Apart from their routine activities,
they voluntarily perform activities like sweeping the roads and lanes, watering
the plants and cleaning the drain, and planting trees on a regular basis.
The main occupation of then villagers
is agriculture. They cultivate and derive their income from betel nut, broom
corn, black pepper, berries, bay leaf and delicious fruits like oranges, lemon,
pineapple and the local soshang fruit. The locals make wooden artifacts from
bamboo tree, and sell them as decorative items also. Another interesting
feature is the “Sky View”, which is an 85-90 ft high bamboo structure created
with bamboo and natural ropes offering an amazing view of the Bangladesh
plains.
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 traditional natural
materials like bamboo, rather than concrete, for building their houses.
Workshops are also conducted by the village council to make people aware of the
harmful effects of global warming.
The village has other interesting
please also such as a natural balncci9ng rock, living root bridges – an
extension of Focus elastic tree (rubber tree). Forming a natural living bridge
across streams, symbolizing a living example of sustainable engineering.
The villagers have toilets in their
houses and practice good sanitation habits. They also have a clear vision of
cleanliness and follow efficient and sustainable ways of preserving the rich
natural environment.
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