Mawlynnog (Shillong) Feb 10 : Resident across the country can take inspiration from the picture perfect village of Mawlynnong, which has recently earned a unique distinction of being the cleanest village in Asia.
Nestled in the pristine hills of Meghalaya, the hamlet has over 80 houses and the villagers, despite their daily schedule of farming and cultivating broomsticks, have worked hard to earn this distinction.
Residents of this village keep their surroundings clean by voluntarily performing all the civic duties such as sweeping the roads and lanes, watering the plants in public area and cleaning the drains.
A team of experts from the famous travel and tourism journal, “Discovery India” has conferred the recognition of being the cleanest village in Asia to Mawlynnong, which is 75 kilometres from the State capital Shillong.
“This village has been there for a long. It’’s over hundred years old. People residing in this village have been maintaining cleanliness right from the time of our ancestors. Because of that this village is clean and at the same time, tourists come to visit to see the surroundings it exhibits as one of Asia’’s cleanest village,” said Leaderfiels Khongwir, one villager, Mawlynnong
“It is the cleanest village that I”ve seen so far. The beautiful flowers, in fact it feels like a park. It doesn”t feel like you”ve come to a village. It’’s like walking in a park, with beautiful flowers on both sides of the path,” said Inrani Swer, a visitor from Shillong.
Dustbins crafted from bamboo canes are placed at central points in the village and the waste from the dustbin is collected and kept in a pit, which the villagers use as manure.
Local residents here grow different flowers around their houses to complement the beauty of their tiny cottages.
Mawlynnong’’s fame is now drawing an endless stream of both domestic as well as international tourists.