[ Bini Yurom ]
ITANAGAR, 5 Jul: The Itanagar Municipal Corporation’s (IMC) ‘Blue City’ initiative, directing commercial establishments to paint their shop shutters sky blue and adopt proper waste segregation, has received mixed reactions from shop owners and residents in the capital.
While many welcomed the initiative as a positive step towards improving the city’s appearance, others questioned whether the burden of beautification should rest solely on the shop owners.
Several traders said they have no objection to repainting their shutters if it contributes to making Itanagar cleaner and more attractive. However, they said that the initiative should be implemented more uniformly across the city.
“We are happy that the capital is developing, and that the IMC is trying to beautify the city. But if the aim is to make Itanagar a ‘Blue City’, why are only shop shutters being painted? Government buildings, roadside walls, public spaces and other structures should also be painted blue. Then the city will have a proper and uniform look,” said a shop owner.
Some traders expressed concern over the additional financial burden of repainting shutters and purchasing colour-coded bins, particularly for small businesses. They said they would cooperate with the directive, but expressed hope that the civic body would consider the challenges faced by small shopkeepers.
Residents also voiced differing opinions. While appreciating the effort to make the capital cleaner and more organised, some felt that improving basic civic amenities should remain the government’s top priority.
“We welcome initiatives that make the city look better, but there are still many areas where roads are in poor condition, drains remain clogged, water supply is irregular, and streetlights do not function properly. These basic issues also need urgent attention. Development should not be limited to beautification alone,” said a resident.
Others, however, said they believed that the initiative could help change people’s attitude towards cleanliness and create a better image of the capital if implemented effectively. They also urged the IMC to ensure regular waste collection and strict monitoring,so that the objective of the campaign is achieved.
The IMC has directed all commercial establishments to comply with the order within the stipulated deadline, warning that failure to do so may invite action under the relevant Acts and rules. As the deadline approaches, the success of the ‘Blue City’initiative is expected to depend not only on compliance by shop owners but also on continued civic participation and improvements in essential public infrastructure.
