Travel creator and former actor Shenaz Treasury has sparked an online debate after releasing a series of vlogs comparing regional sanitation habits, ultimately shining a national spotlight on Mawlynnong — a small village in Meghalaya celebrated as the ‘cleanest village in Asia’. Also read | ‘India is dirtiest country’: Vlogger praises Sri Lanka, critiques India’s tourism decline due to poor cleanliness
The conversation began after Shenaz released a vlog on May 25 from Sri Lanka comparing its cleanliness to India’s, in which she explicitly stated that India is the ‘dirtiest country in the world.’ Following the online stir, she took to Instagram on June 12 to showcase a homegrown counter-example of environmental excellence located right within India’s borders.
A community-driven miracle
Rather than relying on government intervention, the residents of Meghalaya’s Mawlynnong maintain a strict culture of cleanliness and environmental discipline, Shenaz highlighted in the video. The community has implemented strict local mandates, including bans on plastic use and smoking, and personal waste management, she shared.
In her video, Shenaz observed the daily routine of the locals, sharing, “They wake up early in the morning to clean.” She further said that the village’s pristine state is entirely a grassroots achievement. “The people of the village did not wait for the government to come and install dustbins; they installed their own,” Shenaz shared, pointing out the community’s proactive infrastructure. “Every 100 metres, you will find one of these,” she added.
Tourism, irony, and local employment
This collective civic effort has transformed the remote area into a thriving tourist destination, effectively generating local employment through hospitality and sightseeing, Shenaz shared. “The way we keep our homes clean and aesthetic, the people from this village keep their village clean and aesthetic,” she said, adding, “And there are cute Instagram spots all over the village, they have beautiful homestays for tourists… In a way, the people of this village have created employment for themselves by making this village so beautiful.”
However, the influx of visitors starkly contrasts with Shenaz’s observation: “The irony is, tourists come from all over India to look at this clean village while littering their own cities… there is no trash at all. This is how all of India should be.”
Voices from the village
The video features heartwarming interactions with the local residents — ranging from young children to older adults — all sharing a unified sense of civic pride. A young girl holding a broom: “I love clean.” A local woman carrying a traditional waste basket: “I love my village. I keep it clean.” A young boy smiling for the camera: “I like clean.”
An inspiration for the rest of India
Shenaz shared that Mawlynnong serves as a powerful model of self-sufficiency and civic pride, demonstrating that community action can lead to a beautiful, prosperous way of life. In the caption of her video, she told her followers: “Send this to someone who complains that India can never be clean. Welcome to Mawlynnong, Meghalaya — often called the cleanest village in Asia. No garbage. No litter. No plastic is strewn across the streets. No excuses. Just a community that takes pride in keeping its village spotless. If Mawlynnong can do it, why can’t the rest of India?”
The post has resonated with Instagram users, drawing praise for the region’s mindset. One Instagram user commented, “Northeast has an amazing civic sense. It is a way of life. It is also because of a higher literacy level.” Another simple comment echoed the visual beauty of the vlog: “I am in Meghalaya right now. It’s so beautiful.”
Shenaz concluded her travel chronicle with a call to national action: “Let’s be inspired by this village and make our own villages and cities clean. Welcome to Mawlynnong, god’s own garden.”
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
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