Leh: Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC Leh, Adv. Tashi Gyalson, in the presence of Executive Councillor Ghulam Mehdi, chaired a follow-up meeting at the DC Office Conference Hall to finalise arrangements for the Singe Tsangspo Tsande Lasgul – Mission Indus Clean-Up, set to be launched on August 12.
The meeting reviewed operational roles, logistics, waste management measures, awareness activities, and stakeholder coordination to ensure the success of the district-wide Safai Andolan, which will run from Upshi to Phey and Phey to Nimoo under the theme “Zero Tolerance Against Pollution.” The campaign aims to clean Ladakh’s lifeline, the Indus River, with the active support of LAHDC Leh and the UT Administration.
Senior officials and community leaders, including SSP Leh Shruti Arora, Director Urban Local Bodies Moses Kunzang, ADDC Leh Sonam Nurboo, ADC Leh Ghulam Mohd., District SE PWD Dorjey Gyatso, EO Municipal Committee Stanzin Rabgais, Col. AK Upadhyaya of Station HQ Leh, representatives from ITBP, BRO’s Himank and Yojak projects, and heads of major religious, community, trade, transport, and tourism associations, attended the meeting.
The clean-up drive will be conducted block-wise with active participation from civilians, armed forces, paramilitary units, and local bodies. Specific river stretches will be allocated to different agencies, including security forces and rafting experts for in-water cleaning. Collected waste will be transported to designated segregation centres by the Rural Development Department and the Municipal Committee, with vehicles deployed in each constituency and logistical support provided to GOBAs for local waste management. Refreshments will be arranged for volunteers.
EO Stanzin Rabgais presented a detailed zone-wise plan, assigning coordinators for each area. Religious and community organisations will mobilise volunteers, while schools will host pledge-taking ceremonies and awareness programmes to promote responsible waste management. The mission will be formally launched at Sindhu Ghat, where all stakeholders will assemble for a collective pledge before commencing the clean-up.
CEC Gyalson stressed that Mission Indus Clean-Up should not remain a one-day event but evolve into a sustained, community-driven effort to ensure the Indus River and its surroundings remain clean and preserved for future generations.
