Shillong, April 14: For the residents of Lachumiere, one of Shillong’s busiest localities, Rongali Bihu brought with it a slice of glory.

The locality was today adjudged the winner of “Shillong’s cleanest locality award”, which was instituted by the Mait Shaphrang Movement last year. The Shillong-based organisation began the competition as part of its campaign to raise public awareness about the need to keep the hill station clean throughout the year.

“Lachumiere could be a model for not just the rest of Shillong, but also other towns of the Northeast,” Sonny Khyriem, a member of the Mait Shaphrang Movement, said.

Jaiaw Lansonalane had won the award last year.

Though Lachumiere has school buildings, government offices and commercial establishments vying for space, it remains Shillong’s cleanest locality. The Dorbar Shnong of the area has had to combat several problems, including shortage of water and a burgeoning population, on the way to winning the award for the capital town’s cleanest locality.

Khyriem said it was commendable that the people of a locality in the heart of the town had kept their surroundings so clean. He said Lachumiere scored the maximum points for maintenance of roads and lanes, drainage and sanitation and the civic sense of its residents.

“We took cognisance of the fact that the streets of Lachumiere are busy from dawn till dusk. Most of its lanes and by-lanes, unlike those of other localities, are linked to the thoroughfares and are used by thousands of people everyday. In spite of being a busy area, its surroundings are clean. There is order and discipline everywhere,” Khyriem said.

According to people who have lived in Lachumiere for long, the only threat to the beauty of the locality is the mushroom growth of huge concrete structures.

An old-timer said highrises were “coming up all over the place” and spoiling its “natural grandeur”.

Nobody knows what Lachumiere means, though it is documented that during the pre-Independence days the French inhabited this area and named it so.

Elderly residents of the locality become nostalgic whenever there is a mention of its French and British links. Some who have been staying there since the pre-Independence days still talk of “the good old days”.

Lachumiere’s winning the award for Shillong’s cleanest locality was the main topic of discussion throughout the day. “We are feeling on top of the world. After all, we deserved to be rewarded for keeping our New Year resolution to maintain cleanliness,” a resident said.

Khimusniang, a sparsely populated area, was recently adjudged the winner of the award for “cleanest locality in Jowai”.